An Impossible Child
by colsamcarter
Summary: "An Impossible Child, River - we're having An Impossible Child..." River/11 pregnancy fic based on Alex Kingston's spoiler "Is is just The Doctor's cot? Basically, how many babies have been in the cot..." ABANDONED
1. Saying Yes

**1. Saying Yes**

The TARDIS's random lever had decided to take them here, to a blissfully quiet beach on a deserted planet somewhere between constellations of white hot stars.

The beach, The Doctor had explained, had formed over millions and millions of years - the remains of an entire race of space elephants - which is how the beach came to be so glisteningly white. The beach actually sparkled with it's ivory sand.

Once the initial daunting fact of the endless beach had worn off, they wondered why the TARDIS had actually brought them here. The Doctor had his own theories. They needed some quiet time to think, and of course she had known that.

Hours later, they found themselves there. Side by side in a tangled lace of arms and legs. Her corkscrew curls against the hummingbird beat of his hearts. Him watching the rise and fall of her chest, knowing that beneath it lay another two. And he could hear them beating. He had one hand entwined in her hair, and another in hers, fingers locked together. There was nothing to be said, and for once, they enjoyed the silence, just listening to each other breathing and the peaceful lap of the crystal clear water at the shore. Then the Doctor opened his eyes.

"Marry me." the words fell from his lips.

"What?" she choked.

He had always hinted at this, a future where she could call him his. She supposed she would someday be the one who knew all the answers, and would tease him as he had her. He hadn't dropped any such hints in a long while, in this brief interlude of their timelines when they were actually surprisingly linear. In fact, whatever life she had imagined living in her future, she seemed to have achieved in the present. She wasn't expecting something as traditional as a proposal from The Doctor. Her mad, crazy, anything-but-ordinary Doctor.

"Marry me, River Song."

"That's a bit human of you, Doctor..." he was never one for the human things, and ever since her identity had been revealed, he hadn't expected anything human of her, either.

"I don't mean domestics - "Honey-I'm-Home" sort of thing. Just you and me. Just us."

He made it all sound so simple. He was dangling the life she'd dreamed about right in front of her, where they belonged to each other and nothing else mattered, and where everything was simple. But it could never be that simple for them.

"Just us, where? You and me. Falling through time and space. Married. What sort of life would that be?"

"Ours."

Our kind of life. The words went unspoken. He was right, though. This crazy life neither of them had signed up for but were living and enjoying anyway. She wouldn't change any of the things that made them, them. He was right.

"Yeah." She agreed. She wondered how long it would take for him to process her agreement.

"Wait, what?" The words came. His adorable confusion.

"Yes."

"Yes to what?" One minute he was as outright as a marriage proposal on an ivory beach, the next as oblivious as a human staring straight at a perception filter.

"What was the question?"

He paused for a moment, thinking carefully.

"Marry me?" He looked hopeful.

"Yes." She smiled up into his eyes, so old and wise, but yet so young and filled with happiness...

"Yes?" He smiled nervously.

"Yes."

They wrapped around each other once again, and it was only after several minutes that they broke apart. Or it might have been several hours. Or several days on the eternally sunlit planet. Or maybe, the beginnings of forever.


	2. Waiting

_First of all, I'd like to say thanks to everyone that read/reviewed the first chapter – this is my first attempt at writing a Doctor Who fic so I'm not so great with the whole adventure part._

_Secondly, a bit of story information – the actual pregnancy story doesn't start for a few more chapters – until then there'll just be lots of setup story fluff._

_Lastly, I've had a look at my traffic stats and it seems that I've had 410 hits since I posted the first chapter 45 hours ago. That is more hits then I've had, ever. So thank you all so much, please review and tell me what you'd like to read here in terms of extra storylines while the pregnancy's going on and here's another chapter for being so nice. _

**2. Waiting**

_Fiancé_… he mulled over the words in his head.

_Noun: a man who is engaged to be married. _

_Not for much longer if I have anything to say about it._

"Are you coming to bed, Sweetie?" His _fiancée _called from his – now their – bedroom.

"Coming…" he leaped out of his chair, ran from the console and tripped up on the stairs. Rubbing his head, he opened the door to their bedroom, hanging his jacket on the back of the door, then, turning around…

"Hello Sweetie."

His fiancée in question was sitting up on the bed, legs curled around her barely dressed hips. She was propped up by her arms, hair falling around her bare shoulders. She wasn't wearing much more than a cheeky smile.

"River!" His eyes widened in shock, and then he quickly scrunched them tight and turned around, one hand clamped firmly across his eyes and the other twisting at his side.

"I hadn't realised you weren't… I mean, you're not….fully….dressed…" he stammered.

"That's very observant of you, Doctor" she practically purred. He heard her leave her place on the bed and he could only assume she was approaching him.

"But you know, I really don't mind." Her breath was warm against his ear as she reached her arms around his neck and started to undo his bowtie.

"Uh, I don't think that this…is…such a…good idea…" He was so easily distracted, with her now trailing kisses down his neck. She faced him and prised his hand away from his face.

"Really sweetie? It makes perfect sense to me." She undid his buttons as she spoke, walking them towards the bed. "You and me. Do you know how much stamina comes with two hearts?" She winked and pushed him onto the bed, crushing her lips to his. The Doctor moaned against her lips, then pulled away, halting her assault by flipping them over. Even now, he was struggling to remember why he had stopped her.

"Sweetie? What's wrong?" she asked, stroking his chin with her little finger.

"I know ours isn't the most traditional of relationships, and it probably never will be, but… do you think that this could maybe wait? Not that I don't want to, because I do…a lot," he added, as if to emphasise the point. "Could we possibly wait…"

"Until we're married?"

"Yeah – I just want to do things properly."

"Properly?"

"Would you mind? I mean, waiting?"

"Of course not, Sweetie. All the more reason to get married sooner – although it does puzzle me. You're a timelord in a box that goes flying about the universe, kissing almost every human girl you pick up – you just never really struck me to be this kind of guy. I mean, all the times I've met you before-"

"Wait, what? You've- you've already… with me?"

"Yes – although, now that I think about it, you probably didn't realise how early on I was in my timestream."

"Right. That's not weird at all – "My future wife has already had sex with me, but I want to wait until marriage"."

"It could only happen with us, Doctor," she giggled.

"So…Future Me. Must've known a lot about you already – I suppose that would've been a good thing, at least from where you where standing. Or …lying. Was it… was it good? I mean, did you happen to enjoy it?"

Her face was the picture of innocence until she grinned and said in a sing-song voice "Spoilers!"

The Doctor took this moment to roll off her, kicking off his shoes and his trousers, which at some point in the conversation she had unzipped without him noticing. He slipped under the covers and turned away from her, sulking.

He suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end when she whispered in his ear

"Good? Good does not even begin to cover it, Sweetie."

She pecked him on the cheek and settled down to get some sleep.

**Reviews make me happy. So does Capri-Sun, but a review will do nicely.**


	3. My Old Man Didn't Hear That, Did He?

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this. I don't even own the action figures._

_Thanks to people that reviewed anonymously or have pm disabled, I reply to everyone that reviews just to let them know how much I appreciate it!_

_Starfish.: hold that thought…_

_I've had the idea for this chapter for ages, I had to do it. I figured that Rory would have his protective dad speech – he does have a sword, after all._

**2. My Old Man Didn't Hear That, Did He? He Gets Ever So Cross…**

"You're telling him – you're his daughter!" He was clutching at straws now.

"You're the timelord in a box that's marrying her!" It was a cheap shot, she would admit later – but the consequence of losing the argument would be a confrontation with an overprotective Roman soldier.

"She's not a box, River. I would've thought you'd be more grateful, being the girl that is allowed to travel around the universe in aforementioned box. Look! You've got me doing it now!"

"It doesn't matter who tells him – he's still going to be mad at you!" She made a good point – whoever told her father they were getting married didn't matter – it was really a case of shielding The Doctor from Rory's wrath.

They exited the TARDIS and trotted quickly up The Ponds' garden path.

"It's not like you've done much to help the situation – you said you were "Quite the screamer" in front of them-" he made quotation marks in the air "-And implied a threesome with me on your birthday! Not to mention all the little innuendos that litter our conversations… you should really have thought that through, knowing that one day he was going to know you were his daughter and he was most probably going to hunt me down and impale me on that rather threatening sword of his!"

"Oh relax, sweetie! Stop overreacting. Anyway, I happened to think you quite enjoyed the flirting. And the kissing."

"Of course I do - but this is going to be so awkward now." He rang the doorbell, tugging at his bowtie nervously, looking apprehensively at the front door. River turned to face him, straightening it.

"It shouldn't bother him at all that we're getting married – it's not like you're walking up to him and going – "Hello Rory, just to let you know, your daughter and I are having sex in a blue box"-"

"River. Sssssh." He squealed, looking embarrassed and also quite fearful of some kind of impending doom.

"Or "Rory, I have quite possibly been having kinky time travel relations with your daught- Seriously sweetie, what's the matter?" The Doctor had clapped a hand to his forehead, looking extremely apologetic as he nervously raised a finger and pointed over River's shoulder at the open doorway and the ominous figure that stood there.

"Oh- Hi Dad!" River grinned and winked at The Doctor before pushing past her father and entering the house. "Mum! I'm home!" she yelled as The Doctor stepped around Rory, who did not look amused.

"Doctor, what were you talking about with my daughter?" Here was The Doctor, whose name put fear into the hearts of his fiercest enemies, shaking nervously as began a long-winded explanation which could quite possibly result in his death.

"Well, you see, we were just discussing…. Abstinence." Rory raised an eyebrow, and River appeared behind him, managing to stifle a giggle at the sight. "Yes, abstinence!" The Doctor hoped he could recover – there was really only one way to get out of this.

"You see, about a few weeks ago, I asked River to marry me – and, her being the delightfully obliging woman that she is, she agreed. And we agreed, to… abstain from… y'know…until marriage."

Rory seemed to think that this was a reasonable explanation, and was just getting ready to dismiss the Doctor when they heard River gasping for air behind them, Amy having just crushed her into a bear hug.

"Mum, you can let go now." Rory carefully removed his wife from his daughter, only to find Amy running towards The Doctor and throwing her arms around him instead.

"Right. Hugs. Do people tend to hug a lot?" asked the Doctor nervously.

"That's just mum, sweetie, she's a bit emotional at the moment."

"I'm not emotional!" Amy wailed. "My little girl's getting married!"

"Yeah – about that. We have to go and sort out some things, and some people, but we'll be back in about five minutes to pick you up." The Doctor removed himself from Amy's grasp, and lead River by the hand towards the door.

"Pick us up? Where are we going?" asked Rory.

"To the wedding, of course!" he disappeared into the TARDIS. River ran back to hug her parents. She sternly told her father "Behave." And added with an innocent smile "And dress nice!" she scurried away to the doors of the TARDIS, at which point The Doctor leaned out and yanked her in.

As the TARDIS dematerialised, and Rory began to turn away to get ready, Amy welled up once again…

"Amy? What's the matter?" he asked, concerned.

"They just grow up so fast, y'know? It really gets you – one minute she's little and painting pictures in the garden and the next she's getting married!"

"That may have something to do with the fact that they're time travellers. Look, you calm down, and I'll go get Melody from the garden – I reckon she's finished her fossil picture by now…"

**I hope you all enjoyed, as I stayed up late to write this little chapter as a thank you for 14 lovely reviews. Who knows, the more reviews I get, the more I write and the sooner they get married and have timebabies. Seriously, Timebabies. Soon. I'm excited. Are You Excited? Probably not as excited as me, because I'm hyper on Soothers right now.**


	4. The Next Great Adventure

_Thank you all so, so, so, so, so, much for reading and reviewing this – it's really lovely to see how many of you are actually reading it, and even nicer to see how many of you are coming back for updates – guess you haven't tired of me just yet!_

_All of your reviews are actually making my day happier. I will actually read one or two in the morning after I post an update and I will do my happy review dance and squee at all the lovely things you have to say. You guys put a smile on my face and an update on my computer._

_It's been five days since I've updated. Did you miss me? Sorry this took so long, I was doing things in real life. Which is depressing because I'd much rather be doing this._

_This chapter marks the end of the fluff, as the next chapter will be the wedding, which I have already started writing. This is actually a vital chapter – all will become clear. *spookyvoice*_

_I had already decided to include this guy as a main character in the story, very important to the whole marriage and indeed pregnancy thing, and while I was writing it I got a review suggesting I should make him best man. What are you, psychic?_

**4. The Next Great Adventure**

The Doctor poked his head around the door of the TARDIS, perhaps to check if he had indeed come to the right place, before motioning for River to follow him into the hangar.

"Jack! Come out, come out wherever you are! I've got someone that I'd like you to meet!"

He looked around expectantly, but no one answered.

"Perhaps he's out, Sweetie." She offered, with a sympathetic glance, but the Doctor remained sure of his friend's presence nearby.

"But the TARDIS read his life imprint in this building – he's got to be here somewhere! Check with your PDA again!" she was clearly frustrated with him asking her to check again, but she obliged. Running her finger across the screen, she traced the data figures, deciphering it with ease.

"I'm getting readings of something – human, but with extra timey-wimey bits on it – that would suggest a human that had interacted with aliens – and possibly left them with some sort of genetic mutation or ability…" she paused, looking confused.

"Hang on – it's gone." She frowned – this was not making sense at all.

"Wait, there it is again – it keeps switching on and off! And there's something else, too – some kind of massive energy source for construction work or something. The being appears to be…" she struggled to find the words –"channelling it."

It was then that they heard a rather loud bang, and a string of swear words in an unmistakable American accent.

The Doctor broke into a run with River falling into step beside him. They pushed through a maze of plastic sheets before finding a body lying next to a rather large machine.

The Doctor nonchalantly stopped looking worried and sat himself down on a nearby crate, even twiddling his thumbs and beginning to look rather bored – River, however, had rushed to the body, kneeling by its side and pressing two fingers to its neck.

"Sweetie, there's no pulse!" She looked frantic – "Doctor, what are you doing? Don't just stand there, help me!" She pressed her palms together and fiercely came down onto the man's chest, counting as she went. After finishing a set of chest compressions, she quickly moved to bend down over the man's face. She cupped his head in her hands, stretching his neck back, and pressed her lips to his, breathing into his mouth. It was at this moment that the man woke up, and started to move his lips with hers.

The Doctor looked horrified, about to protest when all of a sudden River pulled back and slapped him straight across the face. The Doctor looked very pleased at this, especially when River backed away from the man to stand by his side, leaving him to sit up on his own.

"I hate to admit, but I rather enjoyed that…" he said, looking at River with a teasing smile.

The Doctor was quietly floundering, watching as the meeting developed. He was entirely used to Jack flirting with his companions, but River was another thing. They were engaged, for one, and he was extremely uncomfortable seeing her around other men – which was to be expected, as they were constantly bumping into her ex-boyfriends while on their travels – and she was… different. The Doctor had grown to accept that people would continue to be attracted to her, and developed a strong wall of trust for her love him – and this is how he knew that things like this didn't matter (although that didn't stop him from worrying relentlessly).

Jack stood up and winked at River, who did not look amused in the slightest.

"Sorry, that's just my natural reaction when I wake up to a beautiful woman kissing me."

"Flattery will get you nowhere. And in my defence, I thought you were dead." The look that River gave Jack was frighteningly dark – so much so that The Doctor feared for his friend's life – immortal or not – and casually intervened.

"This is River, My…ah – fiancée? I guess that's the appropriate term, although you wouldn't catch me using it in a hurry –"

"I know who she is – but has she not met me yet?" Jack asked.

"I've never seen you before in my life." River shrugged.

The Doctor quickly hurried to warn him the dangers of non-linear timelines –

"You'll have to be careful about what you tell us, then, because any slip of the tongue could cause a rip in the space-time continuum… what am I saying, you're a pro, you already know this stuff… although if that's the case, why are you here on your own and what are you building?"

"I'm building Torchwood London Mark II – they've turned Cardiff into a bloody farce, it's practically an office now! Anyway, my team haven't arrived yet. That is to say, I haven't recruited them yet – I was just setting up the rift machine which, needless to say, is quite a job, even for me."

"And who are you?" River asked, still suspicious of the man's motives. Who could blame her?

"Captain Jack Harkness – Ex Con-man Extraordinaire turned Defender of the Earth."

The Doctor could sense that River was still uneasy, and so turned to the task at hand.

"Anyway, we're here to invite you to the wedding. And if you agree to come, to take you as well. That's the beauty of time travel, you see – we can sort it all out and just turn up, dragging whoever we choose along with us! However, we have opted to be mildly traditional, and so I find myself in need of a best man… do you think you could do me the honour?"

"Doctor, it would be my pleasure!"

"Wonderful! Shall we leave now?"

"I don't see why not… lead the way, good man." They began the short walk to the TARDIS, and River was full of questions.

"Are you going to explain how you died and came back to life?"

"A long time ago, in the game station, I was killed by a Dalek. Rose – Rose Tyler, someone who was travelling with The Doctor - looked into the heart of The TARDIS and absorbed the time vortex – she destroyed all the Daleks, and brought me back to life. And since then, I haven't died. It doesn't matter how long I wait, I don't even age."

"And when do you know me from?" This wasn't an interrogation now, she was genuinely curious.

"I know you from after you've been married. I suppose I can't tell you anything I know, can I? But what I can tell you is that marriage is the next great adventure – and you're going to enjoy every bit of it."

They reached The TARDIS and quickly entered, The Doctor and River flicking a few buttons here and there on the console. Soon enough, this had become a complex dance, with The Doctor skipping about and pressing all manner of buttons – and River following seconds after, correcting his errors. The TARDIS flew through the time vortex, eventually landing in the Pond's garden again. The Doctor leaned out towards the family, who were making their way down the garden path, and ushered them inside.


	5. I Have A Wedding Now, Weddings Are Cool

_Thank you to these people:_

Gidget89

SerenBex

Gingerbritishgypsyelf

Doctor-River

_Whose fanfics I have read and admired for a long time, all of whom have reviewed or added me to their alert list – something which I could never have expected, and am completely humbled by._

_Jack, Amy and Rory won't return for a while, as they'll be leaving the newlyweds alone for a while, but they will return in due course once the pregnancy storyline is actually underway._

_So here it is – the wedding of Doctor Song and Doctor Song. Apologies for the last chapter – it was so awful that it hurt to read it back, but the filler had to be done. This one is in five segments – think of it as that mid-series two parter that has a big build up but continues straight after…_

_Be warned, most of this is fluff and segments IV and V are very overly-sentimental. However, if you look closely you can pick out Jack's hints about things to come…_

**SPECIAL: I HAVE A WEDDING NOW, WEDDINGS ARE COOL**

**I – Hello Sweetie**

River had long since disappeared into the TARDIS wardrobe, with strict instructions to the Doctor not to come looking for her - Jack stood by the console, facing The Doctor.

"How do I look?" _Nervous - _He thought – _This is a new feeling…_

"Like a timelord that's about to get married."

"That's as good as it's going to get, I suppose." _I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married._

"Shall we?" Jack gestured to the doors of the TARDIS.

"Yes. Weddings. These are new." He turned to Amy and Rory, who were tending to the younger version of their daughter – "Are you going to be alright?"

It was Rory who spoke, as Amy fidgeted over her daughter's hair. "Yeah – I think it's best if you go out there, maybe mingle a bit, and we'll give you a heads up when everyone's ready."

"Alright. Um, tell River – I'll… see her at the altar, I guess." _I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married. I am getting married._

The Doctor and Jack stepped out of the TARDIS, into a throng of people that had gathered around the TARDIS. Around them they saw faces from their past – so many people from all corners of the universe – whether they were human, alien or robot.

"Alright, Melody – do you understand what's happening?"

"'S a wedding. River's getting married!" she yelled excitedly. After an accidental encounter with her older self, The Doctor had advised that River should be known as a different person – that way, when she was older, and the time came to become River, she could embark on that new section of her life. Luckily, by the time she had realised she had been seeing herself all those years ago, her memories of the events wouldn't be so distinct that she could remember exactly what to say, only clear enough that she knew what to do in times of trouble. Amy had lost count of the amount of paradoxical qualities her daughter had – her life had been constructed carefully around her so as not to rip a hole in the universe.

"We can't talk Melody, we have to be quiet – and then we watch." Amy wasn't willing to risk a scene – the wedding was already complex enough with hundreds of aliens without little Melody running around the place.

"But why is River getting married to The Doctor?" The concept of marriage wasn't entirely new to her, but she still couldn't understand the reason behind it.

"Because they love each other very much." This was an explanation that would be told to a child as young as Melody, but it was also true.

"Just like you and Daddy?" Amy looked over at Rory. Lately, they had both come to realise just how similar Amy was to her daughter.

"Just like me and Daddy." She patted Melody on the head. "Come on sweetie – River can't get married without her something new…"

"What's her something new?" The little girl asked.

"You, silly…" Amy took her daughters hand.

"But what about the other ones?" Melody asked, following her mother towards the doors of The TARDIS.

"The TARDIS, sweetie – it's blue, old and technically borrowed – at least that's what The Doctor says."

Amy took Melody out of the TARDIS doors and they plodded up the aisle together. They took their places to the side opposite where Jack was standing. Amy winked at The Doctor, who smiled and waved at Melody, who grinned.

The next time The Doctor saw River, she was emerging from The TARDIS, arm linked in Rory's.

He couldn't see Rory.

He could see River.

He could see River.

All he could see was … River.

Everywhere he looked… River. Walking up the aisle… River. Letting go of Rory's arm… River. Walking towards him… River. Standing right in front of him… River.

"River…"

"Hello Sweetie."

**II - The Doctor Dances (I'm Yours)**

_You touch these tired eyes of mine_

_And map my face out line by line_

_And somehow growing old feels fine_

_I listen close for I'm not smart_

_You wrap your thoughts and works of art_

_And they're hanging on the walls of my heart_

"You look beautiful." And she did, as he held her against his chest. This was everything he had imagined their first dance to be, only this was much, much better.

"You don't look so bad yourself – where did these moves come from?" Not that she didn't appreciate them – but it wasn't what she was used to. The Doctor – her Doctor, the man he was becoming – was someone she knew to be awkward and just a little bit childish, something she loved about him. But he was a contrasting personality – and not in a bad way. He was absolutely adorable - and then, at moments when she was least suspecting it, he was smooth and romantic, perfect. Two kinds of perfect, then, and the best of both Doctors.

"I had some lessons… I didn't want to embarrass you – I'm supposed to be your husband, not your gay uncle." She saw the self-consciousness in his eyes. He would only let her glimpse this, his insecurity, something which hid beneath his cool and confident exterior.

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_And though I may not look like much…_

_I'm Yours_

No matter what she said, he would always feel this way, and there was not much she could do but tell him the truth, that she loved him just the way he was.

"Oh, sweetie – you could never embarrass me – and I'm expecting you to bust a move later…"

"You can count on it…"

_And though my edges may be rough_

_I never feel I'm quite enough_

_And it may not seems like much,_

_But I'm Yours_

"And maybe, after everyone's gone, we'll do a different kind of dancing…"

"I've got something to show you first… wait, that sounded like a line – what I meant was – Rory said he'd clear up, and then we can just get out of here … I'm taking you somewhere."

_You healed these scars over time_

_And braced my soul, you loved my mind_

_You're the only angel in my life…_

_The day we met, my life begun_

_You took my hand, I watched you run –_

_And now you're standing there in white…_

"Can't we just go now? We can come back right away, the very second we leave-" River must've really wanted him, or she wouldn't have suggested something that could risk them crossing their own timelines…

"You have no idea how good that sounds… I wish we could, but we'll have all the time in the universe for that… in two hours." They would spend those two hours anticipating the end of the wedding – River wondering where The Doctor was taking her, and him just anticipating her reaction.

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_And though I may not look like much…_

_I'm Yours_

_And though my edges may be rough_

_I never feel I'm quite enough_

_And it may not seem like much…_

_But I'm Yours_

"I promise, as soon as everyone's gone…"

"What?"

"Meet me by the TARDIS – "I'll be the one wearing the tux and the bowtie" and all that…"

"And I'll be the one in the white dress?"

"Not for long…" he growled. She chuckled as Amy and Rory joined them, prompting many other couples to begin to dance.

_I may not have the softest touch_

_I may not say the words as such_

_I know I don't fit in that much…_

_But I'm Yours._

**III - So this is what a gift horse's mouth looks like...**

"What are we going to do with all this?" The Doctor asked, gesturing towards the mountain of presents stacked up in the corner of the room.

"I think this is where the "Bigger On The Inside" bit comes in, Sweetie." River remedied, letting go of The Doctor's hand to examine the pile. They had received hundreds of thoughtful, well-intentioned gifts - but they found that most of them would be useless.

"What did they think we'd need an electric juicer for?" He had never seen this type of appliance before, always avoiding anything slightly domestic.

"I suppose that's the kind of traditional wedding gift people receive – the only problem being that we are in no way traditional at all." She mused that they were in no way _normal_, let alone traditional.

"I guess we should try and salvage the gifts that we really want – then we can store all the rest somewhere in The TARDIS." The Doctor suggested, as he began looking through the presents as well - However, it was River that managed to scoop up the few things that interested them.

"Here we go – we've got four different types of thermo-couplings from my parents, a _lovely_ set of guns that I'll have, thank you … ooh, the new issue vortex manipulator - mine's been on the blink," she explained. She frowned, looking around her –

"I'm surprised there's not more for you, sweetie… oh, hang on, here we are – one fun-sized jammy dodger…"

**IV - The Talk (Mark II)**

The Doctor watched as his wife was twirled around the dance floor by his best man. He had danced with her for nearly an hour, and now he just watched her laughing as her hair swung out behind her in the most glorious way. He would occassionally speak to other guests, but as far as his concentration was concerned, the universe could have all but revolved around marvellous, beautiful River Song.

"Doctor" he heard a voice snap him out of his reverie.

"Rory the Roman – tell me what I did to deserve her?"

Rory looked at his eyes – so wise and kind, and also light and clear with happinness. He wouldn't take his eyes off her, as she smiled with happinness and met his gaze across the distance between them. He noticed something pass between his friend and his daughter, something which he could only concieve to be love, strong and limitless, pulling them towards each other like the force between planets.

"You saved her. You battled to rescue her, and when you lost, you never gave up. You showed her the wonders of the universe. You caught her everytime she called. Her whole life, you'e been there for her, just waiting for her to become the woman you knew she'd become – and you know – she was waiting for you too. All the times we met her in her teenage years, she would not stop dreaming… she knew that you'd come back everytime, just like how she knew you were coming back for her in the orphanage. Chances like this – love like this – only comes along once in a lifetime. And that's why"

Rory took a breath, like he was building up to something.

"If you ever hurt my daughter, there is no corner of the universe, no black hole, no time pocket, nowhere in the whole of time and space that you can hide – I will find you."

The Doctor turned to his friend.

"You're the only one like me, you know. You waited two thousand years for Amy, as I've waited so long for River. And you know what? I'd do it a thousand times over."

The song ended, and Jack stepped aside as The Doctor took River's hand to dance.

"He didn't give you any trouble, did he?" River asked.

The Doctor smiled and kissed her on the forehead.

"Him and me, we understand each other. And he trusts me with you. Even if he didn't, no way that would've stopped me – there's no force in this universe that could keep me away from you."

And with that, they kissed for what must've been the twentieth time that day, and danced for what seemed to be an eternity. That is, a forever that they couldn't wait to start…

**V - Spoilers**

"When I first met The Doctor, I had unwittingly released a race of gas mask zombies on World War II London – that was the end of my con-man career, and the begginng of my journey on the straight and narrow."

The Doctor had been slightly wary of letting Jack make a speech, but he had agreed anyway, geniunely quite curious as to what he was going to say.

"When I first met River Song… well, I can't tell you about that because….Spoilers." he winked, to much laughter from the gathering.

"What I can tell you is that I've never seen either of them happier than they are when they're with each other – and that happinness and love only strengthens over time. And I can also tell you that soon, everything is going to change – in a good way, though. And you guys are gonna love it…"

After saying their goodbyes to everyone, one by one, and dropping off passengers back to the places they had been taken from until there was only Jack left, they arrived back at the begginnings of Torchwood London II.

"What did you mean, Jack? Everything is going to change?" asked The Doctor, as Jack began to resume his work.

"You know I can't tell you that. But you'll see me again, very soon. Off you go – marriage is the next great adventure after all… and isn't there a beautiful woman waiting for you in your TARDIS?"

_River._

"Right!" The Doctor yelled excitedly, as Jack raised an eyebrow – but The Doctor didn't care. He practicaly sprinted towards The TARDIS, and yanked the doors open, to see River leaning against the console.

"Hello Sweetie." He called, strolling over to her and capturing her lips with his.

"Come on, I've got something to show you… and that isn't a line." He said, taking her hand and plotting out coordinates for somewhere only he knew.

_I've had a request from someone to do the wedding night. I will definitely describe the events leading up to the wedding night, such as where The Doctor takes her and such, but I want to keep this story a T. If I get people requesting it, I might post it as a separate chapter, but only if more people want it._

_If you want, request some other stuff like little storylines or prompts for events that happen during the pregnancy or leading up to it._

_My traffic stats say 3,000 hits but my review stats say 35. Please make my day and review, then I'll do my happy review dance. Then I'll get home and write some honeymoon fluff. Then River will get pregnant. Then there will be timebabies. (See how this works)_

_**Seriously, timebabies. **__**Soon**__**.**_


	6. Just Like The First Time

**Being but a poor fanfiction writer, I own nothing but a few worldly possessions and a few unhealthy obsessions with Doctor Who and Capri Sun.**

**This chapter does not contain anything that would offend or repulse people. Except those lunatics that have a problem with River and the Doctor being their cute, adorable selves.**

**I'm not even going to guess what The Doctor's name is. **

**Enjoy!**

**6. Just Like The First Time**

River couldn't explain what attracted her to The Doctor. It wasn't something she could explain, or attempt to define – upon the examination of his features he was… not bad. But it was when he smiled that she melted – when he pranced about excitedly that she went weak at the knees. He was, without a doubt, the most adorable creature that she had ever seen… but not just adorable. Mad… and clever – a bit of everything, really. Impossible. Impossible man.

There was a time, she recalled, that The Doctor would refer to her as just that – "Impossible Melody Pond" he would call her. Later in her life, during her rebellious teenage phase (though it couldn't exactly be described as phase as it never really ended), her parents would call her the same thing. She grew tired of that name – Melody Pond was…. A geography teacher. She wanted a different name – one that made her worthy of The Doctor, The Oncoming Storm. As she had grown older, she had watched The Doctor's eyes – she read them like a book. She could tell they would be much, much more than they were then, could tell that they would be together like her parents… but she was still young. She understood that The Doctor would've known her in the future, when she was older, and that they would've had some kind of whirlwind romance - or at least that was what he let on, that it affected him that much. A little after her eighteenth birthday, she left for university. Upon her arrival, The TARDIS materialised and The Doctor took her to a secluded planet to talk over some "things" as he had referred to them.

He explained that she was never registered as a citizen of anywhere because they could not a risk having her health checked – anyone doing so would soon discover her mutated DNA. She officially did not exist; therefore The Doctor had registered her under another name, and made some arrangements to keep her safe. She remembered he had asked her to sit down, and then explained who she was.

"_River Song. Mad, Impossible River Song."_

He had given her a life – one she suddenly could not imagine living without. The Doctor would visit her occasionally, and his visits became more frequent as she neared the end of her college education. When she graduated, he stood at the back wearing a fez and pulling a party-popper, waving at her as she collected her diploma. He met her outside the building, and then invited her to come away with him, "travelling" as he had put it. They had never looked back.

It had been several years since The Doctor had given her that name.

Standing at the front of a large gathering of friends and family, she found that she relived quite a few moments of her life with The Doctor.

Their first kiss, a joyous exclamation of a brilliant idea on her part that had been used to defeat another race of sentient creatures intent on destroying the earth.

Kisses became a frequent commodity after that – barely an hour went by when The Doctor hadn't kissed her.

She was reliving all those kisses in that moment, anticipating what would happen next as he flew around the console, before appearing at her side.

He was smiling, like he knew something she didn't, or just knew how crazy this waiting was making her.

"We're almost there, you know."

"It couldn't wait, could it?" She ran her fingers over the wrist that rested by her side.

"No – I have to show you this." His tone was more serious now, though his smile had not disappeared.

A few moments later The TARDIS landed, and The Doctor lead River by the hand, out onto a grassy carpet.

"Where are we?" River whispered in wonder as she looked around the place. It was like nothing she had ever seen…

It was essentially a forest, filled with deep greens, and the sky above was a light, golden hue. There were hundreds of tiny fireflies floating luminously in the dark, so much so that it wasn't dark at all. She moved forward a few paces away from The TARDIS, tracing her fingers over several exotic plants that she couldn't have fathomed, then turning to face The Doctor.

"It's my garden. I come here to think sometimes, but mostly to dream about you and me, and our future. It's always been my place to escape when I want to get away from the rest of the universe. It's so calm and soothing, it was an escape from everything – until I realised I didn't want to escape to anywhere that didn't have you. So, this place – my place – is our place now."

He took her hand.

"Doctor…" she began tentatively. "We got married, and you took _River Song _to be your wife, but you know my real name. Don't you think I should know yours?"

Instead of answering her question directly, he answered with a wonderful, complicated, impossible word that slipped off his tongue.

She tried to repeat it, many times, and each time he would correct her pronunciation until she could say it perfectly.

She said it like a prayer, whispered between them quietly, so it hung in the cool air around them, then as an exclamation of joy that echoed around the garden. Then, as they drew closer to each other, she leaned to his side and her lips curled around his ear and whispered his name again. He kissed her, then. She walked slowly backwards until she was pressed against The TARDIS.

It was a good thing that he would never tire of hearing her say his name, because she'd say it many more times that night. But not now, because her lips where too busy moving with his, and her arms were preoccupied wrapped around his neck, just like his hands were tangled in her hair.

The kiss was new. Not that kisses were new, just this kind of kiss that was different, more intense. It was sweet - intoxicatingly so – but there was an edge to it that was something neither of them had ever felt before… and yet it still managed to feel just like the first time.

**Did anyone else see that article in the paper about how reviewing this story significantly increases the chances of a certain OTP conceiving a timebaby?**

**Or was it just me that read that…**


	7. All Mine

_**Wow! I went to sleep on 50 reviews and got home today to 71! Thanks for everyone's kind comments, anons too, and here's a new chapter for you! **_

_**This is what happens when you all review – I get happy and squee all day through school and annoy my friends, then write more and more!**_

_**My plan for this was just mindless, cute, morning after fluff. **_

_**I think the plan was pretty much achieved in full.**_

**7. All Mine**

It was one of those dreams again – the really good ones that he never woke up from…

River, lying next to him, her breathing quiet and even as The Doctor struggled to hear it. River, eyes closed peacefully as The Doctor imagined what she'd do when she woke up – he'd get to look into her eyes again.

He was torn – he didn't know whether he wanted her to wake up and kiss him of if he'd prefer just to lie there and drink her in. Either way, it was them, together, belonging to each other.

He reached out towards her mind.

_I'm all yours… _he seemed to whisper in her head.

_You're All Mine._

His wife in question was resting quite comfortably, considering the fact that he'd been staring at her for over an hour, though it wasn't as if he could think of anything that he'd rather be doing – he'd be quite happy to stay this way forever. It was strange that he wasn't uncomfortable, because they were tangled in quite a complex way, but really, he didn't consider it entanglement – or entrapment for that matter. It was more like two puzzle pieces fitting together.

For all his nervousness and the worry he had felt anticipating the night before, he now wondered what he had been afraid of – if you could call it being afraid. He had always been intimidated by River – it probably hadn't helped that she had exuded a kind of confidence – the kind of confidence that someone could only possess if they had known and loved someone their whole life, and then encountered them at the beginning of their relationship. It had scared The Doctor, how blatantly she had known him. He had seen that she knew him, not just as a person, but for so long he had known that one day this would happen.

Now that it had, he knew when he had predicted that the experience would not succeed either of their expectations, he had been wrong –

It was much, much better.

As he smiled at fond yet recent memories, he noticed his wife begin to stir. By the time she had woken up, he was facing her, brushing a curl of hair away from her eyes and meeting her gaze with a slight smile.

It was like that first time that he had known her for what she was – smiles, a look of comprehensive understanding, and then a nervous "hello" from him, only this time River concocted her own response

"Hello Sweetie."

…..

It must have been most of an hour before he found the will to get out of bed, an effort which was made nearly impossible by one River Song. When they did find the power to exit his bedroom, he emerged wearing his favourite pyjama trousers with the braces attached, while she merely donned the shirt that he had been wearing the night previous.

It had been the hunger that had finally got to them – what with not having eaten anything since their lunch at the wedding, and their energy having been consumed with much dancing (and other activity that night).

The TARDIS must've been in a good mood – it was a relatively short walk to the kitchen, and when they arrived, they found the juicer whirring, the toaster loaded and bacon sizzling in a frying pan on the stove.

Of course, The Doctor neither understood nor shared a normal person's appetite for breakfast, so it was with great relief that he tucked into the only wedding present that was really intended just for him – his Jammie Dodger. Because it was about three feet in diameter, he had to use a particularly large knife to cut it and a spatula to serve himself a slice.

A few minutes later, he turned to find his wife giggling at him.

"What?" he asked.

"Your face…" she smiled. "You've got some…" She reached out and wiped some jam off his chin with her thumb.

He grinned, leaning closer and running his tongue around his mouth teasingly. Their lips met, and after a few moments River considered that perhaps post-Jammie Dodger the Doctor's mouth was quite pleasantly sweet tasting (certainly better than how he tasted after he had just eaten fish fingers and custard).

"Perhaps you could be persuaded to let me try some of that, Sweetie – what's yours is mine and all that."

He paused before replying tentatively –

"I don't think I can, River."

"Why not, Sweetie?" she mock pouted.

"Because that Jammie Dodger is much like you… irresistible, sweet and All Mine…"

**I have big things planned. Big timebaby things. They're all terribly exciting, but I can't tell you anything because…**

**Spoilers.**

**Cannot be told, has to be lived… uh, read. And to be read it has to be written by me first. You know what makes me write? Reviews. And lots of spare time. But I already have lots of spare time.**


	8. Lost In Translation

**Next chapter, the big plot things I was talking about start. I'll post all the cliff-hanger chapters in quick succession because it's all quite intense – I mean, I was quite worried for the sake of a character's life at one point, but it's all better now cause I know what's gonna happen. I can't tell you though, because…**

**Spoilers ;) **

**This chapter is also fairly fluffy. If this was a movie, it'd be that montage scene where time passes as fast as it takes to spin one song because the writers can't be bothered to write the in-betweeny bit. I could be bothered, but it wouldn't be that interesting. **

**Fluffy montage chapter – here we go.**

**8. Lost In Translation**

_Italics = _Gallifreyan

It was a hello, but not the normal hello that passed between them in the mornings as they woke up and their eyes met.

This time, his hello after an hour of watching her sleep was in Gallifreyan, rolling off his tongue softly in their room that was brightening slowly as they became more awake.

Wrapped up in bedsheets, caught up in each other, he traced the patterns of the letters onto her palm, repeating the words over and over; telling her things he'd never told anyone before, let alone in his own language.

He taught her a few things, but not too much, because he didn't want to have to think too carefully about what he said when he was whispering it in her ear while his focus was elsewhere.

He taught her a few things – practical things and grammar and such – and then other things that he liked to hear her say – his full name, hers in Gallifreyan.

The Doctor found that teaching her to speak his language was not only beautiful and moving, but also very, **very** sexy – just a few words drawled into his ear was enough to delay their getting out of bed for a few hours. He wasn't the only one that found his language attractive – though she knew a few things, he could still whisper things she couldn't understand against her skin, and she found that even though she didn't know what it meant, the mere sounds themselves seemed to burn in her mind and echo in her bones.

The only things he taught her the meanings of were the practical things (and a few choice phrases of his preference), so he could ramble on for minutes in a tongue that she didn't understand, but appreciated all the same.

Over the space of a few weeks, she learned many things due to her advanced learning capabilities, and soon enough they could hold entire conversations in Gallifreyan – but he still withheld from her the meanings of the words he growled in her ear at night.

One evening, dinner had been warm and stifling, both of them raring to leave it behind. He wasn't forward enough to ask, so he looked at her with darkened eyes and simply spoke a phrase – one he had taught her.

_I love you._

It wasn't out of place at the time, like it would have been had he said it in English – somehow, in this dialect, the words meant something else entirely.

_I'm not hungry. Not for this._ River tackled the words with ease, having worked out the phrases herself in accordance to a certain grammar lesson that had happened a few afternoons ago.

_Me neither. Not for this._

_I love you..._

Of course, evenings spent like this usually led to mornings spent in bed, and a few more words added to her vocabulary. He'd test her, occasionally, surprising her while she was still waking up with a "_Talk to me"_ in Gallifreyan spoken as they lay face to face.

She, of course, obliged.

"_Good morning, sweetie_..." she seemed to sing in his arms.

"_Good morning to you too_..." He took her hand, silently encouraging her to continue to show he progress.

"_What's for breakfast_?" She had acquired this phrase when they did food – she smiled, recalling the lesson that had somehow turned into a food fight.

"_Fish fingers and custard, with a side portion of wibbly wobbly timey wimey._" The Doctor was only able to find an approximate translation of these last phrases, never having been needed by the Time Lords of the ancient past that had created the language.

"_I think I'll just have a pear, Sweetie_..." she smiled cheekily.

He immediately switched to English.

"I didn't teach you that!" his eyes were wide with astonishment, wondering how she could have known to say what he himself hadn't taught her.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Pear! There is no way that I would ever teach you how to say pear!" He indignantly protested at her apparent mind-reading skills. He would never have taught her how to name that dreaded fruit in his own, precious language – how could she have known how to say it?

"Sweetie, there's this delightful book in the library that has all sorts of wonderful things in it..."

He remembered that book. He drew back in fear – of course, with her part time lord mind, she would've been able to absorb the contents of the book within weeks!

A look of horror spread across his face – if she could understand the things he'd said, then she would have heard quite a few things that he hadn't wanted her to. He had noticed that she quite liked him whispering things in Gallifreyan, so he continued, running out of new, romantic things to say and instead being totally and completely honest (nothing he would've done if he knew she understood what he was saying).

"I never once saw you reading that!" It was true – there wasn't one time he had seen her reading that book – and he spent almost every waking moment with her. Unless...

"I was careful – I only read it while you're in the fez and bowtie room..."

He gasped, and then narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know about the fez and bowtie room?" His most sacred sanctuary, practically his Mecca!

She replied smugly "TARDIS showed me."

Damn! Why did they always have to gang up on him!

He rubbed his head nervously "How long have you known what I've been saying?"

"Long enough to know all sorts of things..." she replied slyly.

"Like what?" he subconsciously scratched his cheek, unaware he was doing it, which always happened when he was nervous.

"Like how you shouldn't like how I shoot things but you kind of do, a bit..."

This was something he'd never admit to, and thoroughly deny if she hadn't witnessed him say it. In his defence, he didn't know that she had understood a word of it.

"...and how much you love my hair and want to know if it comes with the human plus DNA or if I'm just lucky..."

He stroked some of the strands as she said this – it was true, she did have the most magnificent hair.

"..Or how you wouldn't trade me in for all the Jammie Dodgers in the universe..."

He smiled sheepishly at this one. Perhaps having her understand him wasn't that bad after all...

She was facing him now, but leaned over to kiss his cheek, then kissed an arc across his chin, his neck, up round towards his ear, before her lips curled to whisper a few choice requests and suggestions in Gallifreyan that made his cheeks blush and his eyes go wide before he nodded his approval and turned to kiss her.

She had done it again – delayed their getting up.

But The Doctor didn't care, because he had been wrong.

Having her understand him, and be able to say **whatever** she wanted in a language only they knew was more than "not that bad after all..."

It was much, much, better.

**Next chapter = when everything is going to change (spoilers)**

**Review for bashful Doctor and timewimeywibblywobbly timebaby things happening soonsoonsoon?**


	9. Next Stop Everywhere

**The Time of Plot Stuff is upon us – be afraid, be very afraid (but not so afraid that you forget to write a review).**

...

**9. Next Stop Everywhere**

Not that he would get tired of staying in bed all day, but it was him that finally suggested they go on some kind of adventure.

"Anywhere. We could go anywhere – and everywhere. We could go everywhere." He gestured around himself with a grin on his face. Going everywhere would of course recquire them to leave the bed, a concept he had not warmed to at all over the past month.

"And we will – or, we have. All over time and space." She smiled her knowing smile against his chest, and he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"The question is, River Song, which everywhere do you want to go to first?" A kiss to her forehead, a promise for forever.

"Surprise me…" she sighed contentedly, her face aching with the weight of the same smile she had worn for weeks...

...

The surprise, as it turned out, was a planet in the Dexcaii system called Pynthacora. Environment checks (in her case) and a finger in the air (in his case) told them that they had arrived at a coastal city by the name of Asgard.

So as not to cause a riot, they decided not to exit The TARDIS as they were, but to go to The TARDIS wardrobe first, as he wasn't sure how strict the local laws of public decency were, or how they'd react upon their arrival, what with him only in his TARDIS blue boxers and her in his shirt.

He pulled a sliding door across to reveal at least a dozen pairs of identical trousers, shirts and jackets, quickly dressing himself then grabbing his traditional red bowtie. He slung it round his neck and was about to pull the two ends together when she came up behind him and did it for him.

She was, surprisingly, quite modestly dressed – more so than he would've expected (or hoped).

No chance of a riot, then, as they stepped out of The TARDIS into fresh, seaside air, carrying with them a picnic blanket and a basket of food.

They ate their food in silence, taking in their surroundings with a calm serenity and cool understanding of the planet's geological makeup. That was the thing with them – no need to explain things like that, she already knew them.

They talked for a while – about visiting her parents, and Jack – maybe stopping by Glaxacore VII for ice-skating.

Just a picnic at Asgard – what could possibly go wrong?

...

A lot, it seemed. What had started off as brunch in the peace and quiet had somehow escalated into a chase – being sentient non-humans on a foreign planet that happened to be going through a purifying phase did not bode well for the locals, and after their arrest (and subsequent escape) they found themselves running through the corridors of a government facility, chased by at least a dozen highly paid assassins armed with Alpha Meson blasters set to kill, lead by a woman clad in leather, intent on their demise.

Neither of them were human – which meant they had to be detained in one way or another, as per company protocol. The government would usually just lock them up – but, having demonstrated the danger they apparently posed to the corrupt organization, the order had been given to put them to death.

It had all been a bit of fun at first – a new adventure, a spot of running – but this was something else. The atmosphere around them seemed to hang with cold, damp air, and somehow they sensed that something was not quite right...

They had been running solidly for ten minutes, and River had managed to kill eight of them, but suddenly they reached a dead end, turning around to find 6 soldiers pointing guns at them.

The Doctor quickly stepped in front of River, arms reaching backwards to shield her body from them.

The woman stepped forward cautiously, scanning The Doctor for some indication of his species.

"What are you?" she cocked her head to one side, sneering menacingly.

The scanner blipped twice, and reading the results on the screen, she grinned maliciously as she held up her own gun and sneered

"Timelord."

She pulled the trigger, and a blinding light flashed before his eyes – but he did not fall.

Instead, River was lying in front of him, gasping for air and clutching at her chest where blood was soaking through her clothes.

In shielding his eyes from the blast, he hadn't seen River stepping in front of him. Or River getting hit by a bolt of plasma. Or River falling to the ground in front of him.

"No!" His eyes filled with tears, not quite believing what had happened -

He dropped to her side, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him.

It was more than the "scratches" she would sustain on adventures normally. This time, it was a gaping hole in her chest, and she couldn't even gather the strength to talk as it had been blasted from her and drained like the colour in The Doctor's face.

"River! River, stay with me..." he somehow choked through sobs. "You can't go now, you can't!"

This was all wrong – she couldn't die now – they had years and years, all that to come. She had promised him -

His face was wracked with tears as he cried his defiance -

"No, not now – not yet – you promised!"

She gripped his face, then his hand, like she was trying to tell him something. She could only manage to say one word -

"Sexy..." she whispered, pushing her wrist into his hands.

The woman was not disappointed – she was going to kill River anyway, after scanning her, indicating a mutated human. Worse than any other alien species was a human that mixed with their blood. She raised her gun once again, but The Doctor didn't even notice.

He looked down, and she began to close her eyes. Her wrist was still in his hands, her vortex manipulator brushing against his thumbs. There were tears clouding his vision, but he managed to push the few buttons needed to teleport them into The TARDIS.

They appeared by the console, River cradled in his arms, her face streaked with The Doctor's tears. He sobbed into her hair, filled with grief and remorse over her quickly fading heartbeats, his clothes covered in her blood.

"Tell me how to save you..." he begged, through glistening, pleading eyes. "Come on, wake up! River, wake up!" he rocked back and forth with her head in his lap. "River, please..." his voice cracked. It had all happened so fast, but also so slowly, and now she was approaching death faster than he could keep up with what was happening.

He was only praying for a miracle – you can't bring back the dead or save the dying when you don't know how. Still, he wouldn't give up.

Her eyes shot open.

She let out a long breath, time energy flowing out of her mouth and her eyes, gasping as she whispered words in Gallifreyan.

She turned to him, eyes glowing as if she was possessed, and spoke in his own language...

"_Stay back, my love..."_

...

**I am truly sorry for leaving it on such a cliff-hanger ...**

**I hope I made this understandable – basically, when they're in the library and River asks if they've done Asgard yet, she'd actually asking him if he's lived through the events that followed in this and the chapters after.**

**Over the next few chapters things will happen... timewimeythings.**

***spooky voice* all will become clear...**

**I may not be able to update until Monday because I may or may not be going somewhere.**

**Reviews are like my crack –**

**They make me happy **

**They're highly addictive **

**I'd do anything to get them**

**When I do get them, I jump around like a loon**

**When I don't get any, I sit in a corner and rock back and forth**


	10. New Tricks

**I have nothing to say. Apart from...**

**10. New Tricks **

"_Stay back, my love_."

The golden light continued to pour out of her, flying around the room but always returning, seeming to brighten her face.

She took a few forced steps away from the console, and pulling herself up by the banister, she managed to begin ascending the staircase that led to the exit of the control room.

She stopped halfway up, another burst of energy nearly knocking her off her feet. She pulled as much strength as she had inside of her, and staggered to The TARDIS kitchen. The Doctor followed as quickly as he could, his efforts stifled by the time energy that flowed out behind her, slowing his movements.

The TARDIS sensed the gravity of the situation, and connected the corresponding doorways immediately, so that she staggered into the kitchen, with The Doctor following close behind her. Her breathing was quick and shallow, coming out in pants as she braced herself on the kitchen table. All the while the amount of energy exuding from her was increasing, drowning her in the light that should've been saving her.

"River – what's happening?" He reached out towards her but she shook her head and backed away.

"_Stay back!"_ she warned, taking deep breaths. She stood as still as she could, closing her eyes and scrunching her face in concentration.

"River, you can't change – I-I love you. Don't go, please..." His face was stretched into a painful expression, worn thinly over his downturned features.

She didn't respond – she didn't get a chance.

Her face disappeared behind a stream of energy as she stood still, her arms flung out beside her as the room exploded with light.

The wound in her chest was obscured by her clothes, but all around her light suddenly pulled back and shot at her, absorbed by her body as quickly as it had appeared.

She gasped - her eyes wide with shock, then collapsed, The Doctor catching her before she hit the ground.

...

"How long has she been like this?"

Lying on the bed in front of them was River, unconscious but still breathing, every breath that rasped from her throat still alive with time energy.

Jack stood at the end of the bed, looking down on her, as confused as The Doctor was by her condition.

The Doctor himself was sitting by her bedside, face stark white and hands that gripped one of his wife's shaking.

"An hour, maybe two..." his voice shook with worry, cracking with the grief of not knowing how to help her. "Jack, what's happened to her? I can't lose her – I just can't..." he buried his face in his hands for what seemed like the umpteenth time that hour, just waiting for any sign from Jack that he knew how to help her.

"She's regenerated." He said simply.

"But her face hasn't changed!"

"She's only part timelord, Doctor. Perhaps not even that – but she's human plus, and was exposed to the time vortex just like they were. She's regenerated, but her face hasn't changed – she's healed herself."

"H-Healed herself?" He looked down at his wife, resting on the bed, bewildered by the miracle that her body had performed.

"I can't be sure – but it seems like she's done half your process – healed her wounds, but her body hasn't changed. Now she's in a sort of healing coma, unconscious." He gestured awkwardly to her after that last, more obvious observation.

"But she's alright?" The Doctor was still anxious - he had not known anyone with her unique DNA before, did not know how to treat her.

"Yes – she's completely stable."

The Doctor was a man of science, but even he offered thanks to whatever higher power might be lurking out there in that moment.

Jack continued -"I think the only thing we can do know is let her rest – give it a bit of time before we try and wake her up, and we still need to work out how we're going to do that..."

But The Doctor's mind was elsewhere. Now that he knew River was safe, he could only feel anger in his mind, ferocity boiling in his blood and whistling through his frame.

He gritted his teeth, tone now dark and dangerous.

"Look after her. I need to do something." He didn't offer an explanation as to where he was going, and Jack didn't think it best to even ask.

The Doctor stood up from his chair, bent down to kiss her on the forehead, then took her vortex manipulator and alpha meson blaster from the bedside table.

After one last look at her pale frame, humming with time energy, he turned away and started walking determinedly towards the control room, feeling his temper rise to bubble beneath the surface of his stony exterior. His eyes were cold with hatred for people that would pay – he was The Doctor, The Oncoming Storm – and he would make them regret the day that they were born.

**You didn't honestly think I'd kill off Alex Kingston's River did you?**

**In the next chapter, The Doctor will be wearing his OncomingStorm face. Or maybe he'll have one of River's "SayItAgain...OneMoreTime*MEEEEERRCYYYYY*" moments.**


	11. The Wake Of The Oncoming Storm

**I wanted to go into more detail on why she was shot – I'm not sure if I really explained it very well at the time, and I felt like The Doctor needed an angry revenge moment.**

**Here we go – The Doctor's Oncoming Storm chapter.**

**11. The Wake Of The Oncoming Storm **

The Doctor hadn't been paying any attention to his surroundings when River had been shot.

The moment she had hit the ground, everything else had seemed to dissolve nothingness, and while her life was in danger, he had all but forgotten the woman in leather, and her attempt to kill him that had very nearly ended in River's death.

She was safe now, though, and in no imminent danger. He had time – time to go back and punish them. It was like a burning fire had been lit underneath his hearts, pulling him away from her bedside and back to the containment facility where they had been earlier that day.

He materialised exactly where they had left a few hours previously, not even bothering to check the scanner for signs of danger. With one hand he clenched his sonic screwdriver tightly, and in the other he held River's alpha meson blaster.

With both of these hands, he barrelled through the doors of the building, stunning all the guards he came across – he staggered blindly through the facility, searching for some kind of authority or sign of the woman who had nearly taken River's life. His brain wasn't functioning at normal level – if it had been, he would be acting more intelligently or searching more logically than he was now, but he didn't need to. Even if he didn't manage to find them, they would have no doubt seen him on their security cameras by now, and they would be coming to him instead.

Somehow, without any specific direction to be stumbling in, he came across a room full of screens, and what he assumed were senior officers – Pynthacora's version of civil servants. This was one of the reasons he was so angry – this was a _government-run_ program. It was a corrupt government after all, but the main population of the planet didn't even know it was going on – it was only behind closed doors that they would capture and imprison any being on their planet that wasn't completely human, only when people who didn't know better turned their backs. They were happy to lead obliviously simple lives, content in what they thought was a culture far more advanced and defined than other planets that had not evolved further than the digital age. It was in this civilisation that deemed itself to be more advanced than any other, that they would persecute non-humans, regardless of their nature.

The screens were monitoring every room in the building, including a network of cells containing all manner of creatures, which The Doctor could only assume were imprisoned because they weren't human, persecuted because of the way they were born.

The Doctor felt like he couldn't see. All he could think about was River – lying there helplessly, and what they had done to her. But he could see, and he could see _her. That woman, _standing in front of the screens. _That woman, _giving orders to search the premises for him, then turning to where he stood now and smiling again – the smile that made him want to go to a remote corner of the universe and scream until he couldn't hear anything ever again.

"Timelord..." she sneered again, just like the last time he had seen that maniacal grin.

"I have a name." she cocked her head to one side once again, bringing too many painful memories flooding back into his mind.

"What is your name then, stranger?" guards were spilling into the room, but not shooting, just listening to the conversation being held in front of them.

"I have many names." He said this with an air of distinguishing his intentions from coming to die.

"Who are you? Are you a man of myth and legend? Something that thinks they can cross us?" She was oblivious to the prominence of his names, had not heard the stories.

"Oh, more than that... I'm The Oncoming Storm." She smiled and snorted, dropping her previously predatory stance.

"A man of myth, then."

"Not a man of myth – I'm very, _very_ real – and you _will _pay for what you did."

"How? You're cornered, "Oncoming Storm"." She tightened her grip on her gun. Though she was confident, The Doctor was completely calm and it worried her immensely.

"Not as such..." he simply stated, teleporting himself in an instant to the holding cells elsewhere in the building. The woman and the civil servants found him immediately on the monitors, in the prison control room.

"What is he doing?" The woman asked, watching his movements curiously.

"Hello, everybody!" The Doctor called from the cell, the audio feed relayed into the control room with a buzz of his sonic screwdriver.

"Just a little update – I'm going to free _everyone._" He pointed his sonic screwdriver at the controls on the wall in front of him, from which sparks flew and lights flicked on and off wildly.

All the doors in the containment facility clicked and swung open, then were sealed open.

"Secondly, I'm going to destroy you." He looked at the vortex manipulator on his wrist and continued "I'd say you've got about twenty minutes before this whole place goes BOOM."

He gestured with his hands, before opening the door at the end of the corridor, and beginning to usher the prisoners out into the daylight.

"And lastly... I'm going to kill you." He looked up at the camera murderously, before teleporting himself back into the main control room.

He walked right up to the woman, and held the gun to her head, all the while soniccing the controls around him, setting off a siren that rang through the corridors of the whole building.

"Do you even know what you did?" he asked her coldly, not even bothering to look at the ensuing mayhem going on around him.

"I'm presuming I killed your mate." She spat, annoyed at how suddenly everything had been taken away from her.

"She's more than a mate to me." His eyes flashed angrily. "She is _my_ wife. She is everything I've been waiting for my whole life. She is the last of my kind, everything I've ever wanted, and _you _nearly took her from me. I'm a forgiving person, but this? This is something that I will _not _let slide."

He held the gun, fingering the trigger, staring at her with all the hate in his hearts.

"Kill me then." She looked at him – "What are you? Killer? Or Coward?"

The words echoed in his mind, reverberating in his ears, and tears filled his eyes as summoned all the hatred he could possibly muster.

It just wasn't enough. Not enough to kill her.

He quickly pressed the buttons on River's vortex manipulator, disappearing in the blink of an eye leaving the woman to escape the facility.

**I'm 99.9999999% sure that I'll post tomorrow. That 0.0000001% is the off chance that my hands get chopped off in a strange and bizarre accident before then.**

**Review for angry Doctor and timebaby things happening **_**reallyreallyreally**_** soonsoonsoonsoonsoonsoon?**


	12. Just The Thing For Healing The Synapses

**One more chapter to go ... not telling you what happens then but I'm sure you'll hazard a guess...**

**12. Just The Thing For Healing The Synapses**

He materialised inside the TARDIS, scrambling to his wife's bedside, kneeling next to her and grasping her hands.

"River? Are you in there? Can you hear me?" He had never done this before – talked to someone like this. He had only seen it in earth films were the coma victim can hear everything that's said around them.

"I-I went back there. I...tried to kill them – to punish them for what they did to you... I tried. I couldn't do it – I'm not that strong." He looked down at her pale form, which was now not that strong either. He stroked her hair, brushing a curl away from her face and holding her hand.

"I'm only as strong as you make me, and I can't – I can't lose you. I can't go back... Don't make me go back to being alone, because I can't, River. I love you..."

He had wished to stir her like this, but he soon realised that there was some other way, and he was determined to find out what it was. He spoke more seriously now, speaking and trying to direct the words into her mind at the same time.

"Is there anything you can tell me? Anything I can do to help you?"

Her eyelids fluttered, and her hands squeezed his gently, so he leant forward, trying to reach her mind with his. He heard something - a buzzing – no, a whistling – before he was shut out of her mind. He sat back, completely and utterly lost.

...

Then he heard it – the same noise, but coming from somewhere in The TARDIS. His head shot up, and he called out Jack's name, springing from the bed and bolting out of the bedroom door.

He barrelled through the doors, running, practically sprinting to follow the source of the noise, getting closer each second until he fell into The TARDIS kitchen, entering to see Jack fiddling with two mugs and two spoons.

"What are you doing?" he asked, puzzled as to why Jack was here, in the same room that River had regenerated in just hours before.

"I'm just making some tea – I thought you should eat or drink something." Jack replied, confused as to what had suddenly made him appear here, talking urgently as if he was on a mission – which of course he was.

The Doctor's eyes flicked from Jack to the kettle on the kitchen counter, and suddenly everything, EVERYTHING – became clear.

"Tea..."he breathed.

"Doctor, what is it? What's wrong?" Jack asked worryingly.

"Not wrong, right! Don't you see? When she started regenerating, she came here! I can't believe I didn't see it before!" He spun around, grabbing Jack by the arms and shaking him.

"I don't understand? Why did she come here?" Jack didn't know how to treat The Doctor when he was like this, didn't know how to respond to his Eureka moment when he didn't even understand what his epiphany was.

"I tried to reach her – psychically. All I could hear was the sound of a kettle boiling! She was trying to tell me how to help her!" His face was lit up with understanding, and the knowledge that he could maybe revive River.

"How? How can we help her, Doctor?" He still wasn't making any sense – they wouldn't be able to help her at all until The Doctor told him what he had figured out.

"Tea! Tea is the answer!" he yelled triumphantly, waving his arms in the air madly, gesturing to the mugs with tea bags in them. Suddenly, what he had worked out clicked in Jack's mind, and he was suddenly able to comprehend the remedy that The Doctor had concocted.

"Of course! The superheated infusion of free-radicals and tannin!" Just the thing for healing the synapses...

"Come on!" The Doctor shouted, anxious to revive her as quickly as possible.

Jack filled a mug, and they walked as briskly as the overflowing liquid would allow back to where she was resting. They quickly arrived outside the bedroom door, pushing it open with as much speed as the frame could muster.

"If this doesn't work..." Jack started, as The Doctor knelt by River's bedside and raised the mug of tea to her face, and Jack sat down next to him, folding his arms.

"It's got to," The Doctor said simply, holding the mug to her lips and tipping a few drops carefully into her mouth. Jack took the mug back, and they both stood still, awaiting at least some kind of response from her.

"Doctor, I don't think..." Jack was interrupted by a coughing and spluttering from the bed beside him, and River sat straight up, gasping for air as the last breath of time energy left her.

The Doctor let out a strangled cry of happiness, crushing her into his chest and kissing the top of her head repeatedly.

"Doctor..." she struggled to catch her breath.

He pulled away, but instead pressed his lips to hers gently. This seemed to encourage some kind of response from her, at least – but it wasn't really a response really suitable for company.

"Uh, guys? Usually I'd say get a room, but obviously we're already in it, so..."

They broke apart, faces still touching.

"I thought I'd lost you..." he told her gently, trying to tell her in this one sentence how much it would've hurt to lose her forever.

"You'll never lose me – I'm going to stay with you – always." She told him firmly, like it was fact – and The Doctor knew in his hearts that she was right -

"Forever..." he agreed.

**I rewatched practically the whole of **_**The Christmas Invasion **_**just to find out what it was about tea that he said.**

**Review for timebaby things happening **_**reallyreallyreally **_**soonsoonsoon? **

**I mean **_**really **_**soon. I'm talking like, **_**next chapter**_** soon.**

**Review for timebaby things happening **_**next chapter **_**soonsoonsoon?**


	13. Impossible

**I hope this will make up for twelve chapters worth of timebaby promises.**

**Thanks to everyone for being patient with the plot stuff, it was always only a vehicle for this to happen...**

**13. Positive**

They had dropped Jack off only about twenty minutes after she had woken up, only stopping to catch up briefly before stopping again at Torchwood II, with only a few hugs and goodbyes.

Then, they were off – piloting The TARDIS to any given destination then abandoning the control room in favour of their bedroom.

It had been a long day, ended only with the shedding of various items of clothing and an easy silence that fell in between them as he held her close, stroking her hair and whispering Gallifreyan "I love you's" into the top of her head.

They were content to just lie there peacefully for a while, until the rest of their clothes got uncomfortable too (or at least that was what she had told him).

As they undressed, River watched The Doctor's expression with confusion – It was the first time that they had been together like this without kissing or doing... other things, and she watched his face, drawn into an uneasy, pained look, with disdain.

"Doctor – I'm fine, you can stop worrying now..."

"It's not that, River." He sighed, wishing away the words so he could watch her in silence again. After almost losing her, he wanted to cherish this moment – and promise himself that he would never even come close to losing her again.

"What is it, then?" she was annoyed now. If it wasn't him worrying about her, what was it about? And why did he feel the need to constantly shut her out?

"You saved me, River." He answered quietly.

"Yes, I saved you! Now why is that a problem?" Anger_. That's a new feeling._

"If you had died for me, and I couldn't save you – I don't know what I would've done. I was so worried that you were going to change your face... that you were going to become someone different... I know it's selfish, but I feel like you're the only River I could know. If you had changed, I would've loved you all the same, but I would never forgive myself for losing _this _River – _My_ River." He hoped she understood his attempt at redeeming himself – that he only felt guilty for what he had nearly let happen to her.

"I'm sorry for getting angry." She apologised. "I do that after I heal, sometimes."

"How many times has it happened?" He asked calmly, only wishing for more insight into this newly discovered feature of hers.

"Three times before... the first time it happened I was still in the orphanage – I really freaked out Madam Kovarian – they did all sorts of tests to try to find out what was wrong with me, then when they did, they were thrilled – just added self-healing to the list of things that would make me useful for killing you. The second time it happened, I... I can't tell you. It hasn't happened to my younger self, has it? I guess now I know how you knew what to do." She folded her arms and smiled gently at the memory.

"Do you know anything else about it?"

"That's all I know. Apart from how after I heal, I need to have some tea because the super-heated infusion of free radicals and tannin encourages the re-growth and stimulation of my time energy cycle."

"Just like me..." he breathed. They still lay there silently, until she broke the silence again.

"You're not always going to treat me like this from now on, are you?" her voice was lined with worry, as if she had lost the feeling she had had before while he held her -

"Like what?" What was she going on about?

"Like I've just survived world war sixteen and I need to be kept in bubble wrap so I don't break!"

"How am I treating you any differently to normal?"

"Well for starters, we've been here for over half an hour in our underwear and you haven't tried anything..."

"I just thought that you needed a minute, that's all..."

"Well I've had 37 of them, Sweetie – and all this waiting isn't good for my temper..."

"Well, I wouldn't want you to get angry, would I?"

...

The next morning was spent just like any other morning – lying in bed, talking in Gallifreyan – it was almost as if nothing at all had happened, except for The Doctor's persistence that should really do some tests to make sure she was alright.

"Sweetie, I'm perfectly fine where I am." She growled as she gripped onto him tightly, making it clear that she wasn't going anywhere, wishing that he would divert his focus and attention to something else instead.

"For me, River?" he practically crooned. She reluctantly agreed, only leaving the bed because of the somewhat unfair use of his puppy-dog eyes.

She placed herself gently on the cold metal of the examination table, folding her arms over her stomach and muttering things in Gallifreyan. He grinned at her excitedly – he was always interested than was really called for about sciencey things like this – he enjoyed spending time in the lab or the infirmary as much as he enjoyed the time spent in their room... actually, that wasn't and could never be true, but he did love the medical aspects of it all that he didn't often get to experience despite numerous doctorates and various other higher qualifications in relevant fields.

"You know, Sweetie – you could just tell me if you wanted to "play doctor"..." she remarked drily.

He wore a confused expression as he set up medical equipment around her, completely oblivious as to any reference she had made.

"What do you mean, River?" he asked, genuinely unaware of anything she had said – clearly, he wasn't familiar with the concept.

He tapped away at a few keyboards, doing a few scans as she twiddled her thumbs in her lap.

"Alright..." he began, dashing over to a decrepit machine that was churning out all sorts of numbers. He walked back slowly, and shet sat up on the table, now just a bit interested about the results of the test.

"Alright – it doesn't seem as though anything is out of the ordinary – although I couldn't really know because there's never been someone like you before... not that that's a bad thing though – I mean, you're unique, and you're well...you, and... what I mean is, there's no one that can compare..."

"The test results, Doctor?" she reminded him, cutting him off before he began a long-winded speech about how fantastic she was, which would inevitably end in some description of her hair and questions about its origins. She had had to reassure him too many times that it wasn't magic hair – just hair, normal hair. Then The Doctor would spend half an hour touching it, stroking it and telling her about all sorts of creatures with all sorts of magnificent hair styles, none of which even came close to the brilliance of hers, he reassured her. So she was glad that he remembered where his rambling was going in time to resume his prognosis.

"Right!" he regained his focus and looked back down to the sheets of paper, studying the figures and explaining what they stated to River, though he needn't have bothered because she could read them perfectly well already – Not that she would spoil his fun.

"Alright, so we've got pretty standard data – your heartbeats have returned to normal (normal timelord pace, that is), all of your systems are functioning normally, and the regeneration cycle is over. All of the damage has been repaired..." he frowned, and then went back over to the computer, tapping away once again.

"Doctor, what is it?" River asked. This could not be good – The Doctor was frowning! Something that puzzled The Doctor could never turn out to be a good thing.

"I'm not sure..." he admitted, picking up another print-out and studying it carefully before stepping towards her slowly.

"Doctor, you're scaring me – what's wrong?"

"I don't know! There's some sort of current inside you, I don't know why!"

Her face went white.

"That's never happened before..."

"I've never seen anything like it! Your whole body is filled with it, it's flowing through your veins at a hundred miles an hour, but _around something, _like it's _protecting_ it!"

"My vital organs?" she guessed.

"I don't know... It's time energy, we need the scanner in the control room for this..."

He grabbed her hand and they scurried out of the sick bay and through the corridors until they reached the console room, where he instructed her to sit down while he scanned her. She watched him flick switches, press buttons, anxiously staring at him while he appeared to be preparing some sort of diagnosis.

The scanner stopped whirring, and The Doctor looked up from the keypad to the monitor.

What he saw, in black and white (well, orange and blue) on the screen, shocked him more than anything he had seen in his life.

River was still watching on, no longer anxious as she read The Doctor's expression. She could see it wasn't one of fear or in recognition of danger, but it was shock all the same. The Doctor felt like he had been hit over the head with a sonic shovel –

"Impossible..." he whispered.

"What is it, Doctor?" she asked, demanding at least some kind of answer while he held all of them. She got up from the chair, crossing the space to the console and taking a breath before gathering the courage to look at the screen.

What she saw was like a bucket of water tipped over her head -

A scan for time energy in her own body, concluded in the detection of colossal amounts of it – acting as a protective barrier around the area of her stomach, fading now but evidently used during her regeneration.

The energy had been protecting something – something very precious, but so tiny that it had yet to grow beyond the size of a pea. The energy seemed to be pulsing around it, and River could see the words clearly in capitals on the screen – the time energy had been protecting a baby.

_Their baby._

The one that was inside her at this very moment, showing up on the screen alongside words that clearly read:

RIVER SONG

HUMAN+/PART TIMELORD

FEMALE

PREGNANT

**Review for timebabies? FINALLY?**

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	14. An Impossible Child

**Prepare for a whole lot of italics and underlining. Timebabies recquire a bit of overly-emphasised presence in their thoughts.**

**14. An Impossible Child**

RIVER SONG

HUMAN+/PART TIMELORD

FEMALE

PREGNANT

_Pregnant. _

She was _pregnant._

With a _baby_ – a real, live baby _inside_ of her.

She was _pregnant._

River stood still, frozen to the spot – then, slowly she followed the words down the screen – she was FIVE WEEKS pregnant.

The Doctor hadn't moved – he just stood as still as she was now, not saying anything.

How could she not have seen this? She had never thought, not in a million years, that she could be pregnant with _The Doctor's_ child – it had just not occurred to them that maybe, due to their genetic compatibility, they had even a chance of conceiving a _child_ – a living, breathing bit of both of them, living and moving and talking and **running**. A _child._

"_Impossible_..." he whispered again, and then he tore his eyes away from the monitor and instead looked directly at River, who was still staring at the screen open-mouthed.

He stepped forward towards her, dropping his gaze ever so slowly down to her stomach. She looked at him, the astonishment fading and turning into something else entirely. She followed his eyes, until she was also looking at the flat skin of her belly. He tentatively reached out, holding her hips and then resting a hand at her navel. He wasn't looking for a bump – it was far, far too early for that. He was just imagining – imagining that tiny speck of life that was inside her – _his child._

Her hands moved forward to brush against his, holding them tightly, then slowly, they both lifted their heads to look at each other.

River saw something in The Doctor's face – joy?

She didn't know, but she hoped for some response, anything that would give her some indication as to what he was feeling. He looked into her eyes, searching them, as if for confirmation that this wasn't a dream, that this was real and they hadn't just imagined it.

River was the first to speak.

"Say something..." she asked quietly.

"I..." he began, not even knowing where to begin.

"You're..." he didn't seem to be able to find the words.

"Doctor?" his lack of response wasn't reassuring in the least, and she began to panic. She had come to terms with her genetic differences a long time ago, the rarity of her species daunting to her, but this? This was something else.

_A baby._

A human plus, timelord **baby.**

Her hands started shaking.

"Doctor? What's going to happen to me?" she asked, voice breaking.

This, at least, stirred something within The Doctor – a protective instinct – and he immediately wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Nothing is going to happen to you. You will always be safe, and I am going to take care of you – I'll even let you vomit into one of my fezzes if you have to."

He pulled away, seeing the tears in her eyes, then returned his gaze to her stomach, drawing up her shirt and stroking the skin there.

"You're pregnant." He stated simply, smiling like a child and voice giddy with excitement.

"I'm pregnant." She whispered her agreement, as if saying it more times would make it easier for her to comprehend.

"With _my_ baby." He spoke again, this miracle still not easy enough for him to understand.

"With _your_ baby..." she repeated dully, and all it took was one look at The Doctor's face, an amazed smile touching his features and his eyes sparkling in absolute wonder to know for sure that this wasn't a dream.

"This is really real, isn't it?" The Doctor asked softly.

"Yeah." She agreed quietly, still not completely believing it herself, but taking his and her own words for it.

He lifted his hand to cup her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb, then moving the other to join it. Then he looked her straight in the eye and asked:

"Are you okay?"

This was a grave mistake. What he had really meant and had tried to convey in his tone was "Are you okay with this?" but River interpreted it in her own way, still having mood swings since the regeneration.

"Of course I'm not okay!" she pulled away from him, turning to pace wildly around the control room with no general destination or intent. "I nearly died, then I come back and apparently I'm pregnant with a child that's **Impossible!** My DNA is already unique – one of a kind – and it was hard enough learning how to deal with the perks of _that_, and now I'm pregnant with _your_baby! _You_! We're both **impossible**! And this baby? The most **impossible** of all!"

She was near tears now, before her pacing was stopped by The Doctor enveloping her in a tight, warm hug.

"You're going to be okay..." he whispered. Her head pulled back and he saw that the first few tears were already trickling down her face, and her eyes sparkled with worry.

"How do you know that? And how do you know that the baby's going to be alright? How do you know if the baby's going to be healthy?"

The Doctor would never, could never lie to her.

"I don't, River. But this is a promise – I will do everything in my power to help you, to keep you safe, and to protect our baby. And if I have to, I'll run all the tests in the universe to keep track of it and make sure it's healthy." He kissed her on the forehead, then the cheeks, removing all the tears from her face. There was a moment of silence, and then she finally spoke again –

"A baby." She whispered yet again. The sheer joy and wonder of it all finally hit her.

"_Our_ baby." He corrected, with a triumphant smile on his face.

"We're having a baby. A child, River-" she cut him off, throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crushing her lips against his. He only pulled her closer, not even caring that he hadn't got to finish his exclamation at his joy of new-found fatherhood.

It was her that finally pulled back, but she didn't let go of him, and he took the chance to finish what he had started saying before.

"An Impossible Child, River – We're having An Impossible Child..."

**Review for An Impossible Child? FINALLY?**

**I've just realised I don't have any more finished chapters at the moment, so I might not be able to update tomorrow as my night will be spent otherwise, but there is a possibility that I still will, and I'll try to write the next chapter before then.**

**Thanks to all of you lovely people for all of your lovely reviews!**


	15. Cluedo

**This is going to be a quite a bit short and quite a bit rushed because I wanted to update tonight and I was busy writing the next chapter, which will sort of be a Torchwood crossover... but you'll have to wait and see for that, which I hope to post tomorrow.**

**Wow, I've been oh-so-diligent with my updates lately.**

**15. Cluedo**

"What are you thinking?" he whispered against the top of her head, his breath tickling her skin just like her hair brushed against his chin.

"I'm thinking about the baby." She admitted. She was staring into space, obviously daydreaming.

"What about the baby?" he asked curiously.

"I'm thinking what it'll be like after it's born..." she smiled softly.

"What do you think it'll be like?"

"I think it might be a boy – it seems like it could be a boy..." she replied hesitantly.

"I thinking I'll have a boy and I'll have to brush the hair out of his eyes, and comfort him when the other kids tease him for wearing a bowtie..." she smiled, thinking absently about it while staring at a blank space in the duvet with a far-off look on her face.

"That's where I think you're wrong," started the Doctor, and she turned her head around to listen to what he had to say.

"I think it might be a girl – it seems like it could be a girl..." he spoke quickly and nervously.

"I think you'll have a girl, and we'll have to keep your guns locked way out of reach – and she'll have magic hair, just like you..." he murmured, twisting a curl of River's hair between his fingers.

"Magic hair?" she snorted, swatting his hand away from where he'd been running his fingers through it.

"Magic hair..." he continued. "All curly-wurly and tangly and ... cool." She smiled up at him and didn't move his hands this time when he placed them on her head, entwining them in her hair once again.

"It'll be brown though, Sweetie. Curly, brown and floppy."

"Yeah..." The Doctor smiled fondly at the thought. Boy, was there going to be trouble when this one came along. "I'll blame you if it starts calling me "Sweetie"."

"It's not my fault; I got it from my mother!" River protested. The Doctor froze.

"Amy called you "Sweetie"?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, why?" This was only a part of her childhood; she didn't know how significant it would be in their future timeline – his past, her future.

"You know she probably only did that because you called me "Sweetie" first..." he said, as if blaming River, pointing out that... it was because she had come up with his annoying nickname... that she had indeed come up with his annoying nickname. Sometimes, even The Doctor was confused by their timelines.

"But from my point of view, it's the other way round..." she pointed out.

"This child will have to live in constant fear of the universe imploding." The Doctor remarked. He thought of Amy calling little Melody Pond "Sweetie".

_The Ponds._

_Oh no. _

_Amy. _

_Rory!_

"Your parents..." he whispered fearfully.

"Oh yes – I suppose we'll have to tell them sooner or later, won't we?" she dismissed the matter coolly, but The Doctor was already thinking what long-term damage The Last Centurion could inflict on him.

"But... River! Rory! He's... your dad! He's also your dad _with a sword!" _He pointed out.

"I know..." she giggled.

"I hate you..." he scowled.

"No you don't." she argued, lifting herself out of bed.

"We'll have to tell them, won't we?" he said reluctantly.

"It won't be too bad, Sweetie – the more important question is what's going to happen to the baby?"

"I don't know..." he admitted once again. "But soon enough, I'm going to find out exactly what." He slid out from underneath the covers, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and taking River's hand.

"Care to find out exactly what with me?" he asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Sweetie." They traipsed into the kitchen for breakfast, him finally finishing the last slice of Jammie Dodger and her... not feeling hungry at all. After The Doctor finished eating, they walked around the corner to the library.

"Be warned, I'm not sure what the conditions of the books are – some of them might still be a bit damp from their time in the swimming pool, I haven't checked all the sections yet..."

Luckily, the books were all bone-dry. The Doctor wasn't sure if this was out of luck or if The TARDIS has some sort of drying process he hadn't been aware of. They had entered the library in the centre room – which was astronomy. No sooner had they walked through the door than a small cart pulled up next to them, bleeping as it arrived. The Doctor helped her up into the passenger seat, before clambering into the driver's seat, taking hold of the steering wheel and directing the cart through the various sections. She had been in the library before, but there was not enough time in the universe to see all there was to see in the library, which was unfathomably large.

Soon, they arrived at the Biology section, just past Biographies and Bio-hazardous Substances. He drove until they pulled up alongside the subsection marked "Timelord". There were only a few books on the subject of timelord pregnancy, all of which The Doctor loaded onto the back of the car before driving back the way they had come. Once they had arrived in the astronomy room once more, he helped her down from the cart and packed all the books he had taken into a wheelbarrow which he trundled ahead of them noisily as they walked back to the console room. Once they were there, he turned to River, who was waiting to see what brilliant idea he would come up with next – which was why she was very disappointed when he looked at her sheepishly, bordering on angry by the time he admitted that he didn't actually have a plan.

"I'm going to kill you..." she growled, fingering the handle of her Alpha Meson Blaster which was tucked safely away inside her belt.

"Everyone would know it was you, though – would be my first guess, anyway." He shrugged.

"What? River Song in the console room with The _Compendium for Timelord Genetic Code_?" she offered.

"That's why I would strongly suggest you don't kill me – or you'll never know about The Doctor, in the library with the wheelbarrow." She smiled after he said this, satisfied that he at least had some idea what he was doing.

"What's the plan, Sweetie?" she asked with an even wider smile. He tapped the side of his nose, humming the theme tune to an old earth TV serial.

"If there's something strange in your neighbourhood, River – who we gonna call?" he asked, skipping over the console and tapping in coordinates.

"Jack Harkness."

**Review for Alex Kingston's magical hair? I'm approaching 200 reviews and I'm ever so excited... more than is really necessary, really. I do too much squeeing for my own good...**


	16. Welcome

**I'm sorry I haven't updated for a couple of days – I was going to update yesterday, but completely spazzed out on me, and it wouldn't accept my files.**

**This is the first chapter with Torchwood – they'll be visiting a few times for time check-ups. Yes, I just made those up. You don't have to watch Torchwood to follow the story, but if you do then you'll see I've changed some stuff and meddled in their lives. I think this chapter having a new team in London reflects my disdain for the new Miracle Day trailer in which Starz call it their original series.**

**I've just reached 200 reviews. You have no idea how happy that makes me. There are no words. Apart from these...**

**16. Welcome**

They deliberated at which point in time they would arrive, and settled on 2 months after the had last dropped Jack off. They had no idea what to expect, but they assumed that this would have left enough time for him to have assembled a new team and set up their headquarters.

As the doors of The TARDIS swung open, they had barely seconds to take in their surroundings before being greeted with resounding sirens and two people pointing guns at them, with a third closing in with a scanner.

The Doctor recognised one of them – it was Gwen Cooper, whom he'd met after the defeat of Davros. She clearly didn't recognise him, though, because she was holding a gun to his head.

"No need to roll out the welcoming committee..." River muttered darkly, as she and The Doctor raised their hands above their heads. Her hand had at first twitched towards her side, before she remembered that The Doctor had somehow convinced her to leave her Alpha Meson blaster in The TARDIS.

"Don't. Move." Gwen instructed in her heavy Welsh accent. The Doctor looked around at the other two people – a well-built muscled man with cropped blond hair stood on his other side, holding 2 guns, one pointing at him, and one pointing at River. The third person was a woman, with long brown hair pulled into a ponytail apart from bangs that hung either side of her face. She was the only one that wasn't holding a gun at them, which meant that she was the only one that he trusted, until a voice called from a gallery above.

"Put the guns down..."

Gwen called up to the voice "They appeared out of nowhere! What if they're aliens?"

"Oh, he's an alien, alright..." The Doctor gasped as Martha Jones stepped out of the shadows, wearing a lab coat and looking quite pale.

"What happened to you?" she called, gesturing to his face and referring to his new body.

"Radiation poisoning..." he grumbled. Martha winced sympathetically.

"Not the best of ways to go, then?"

The Doctor was about to form a witty response when River interrupted, reminding The Doctor and Martha that they were still being held at gunpoint.

"Not to interrupt your conversation or anything, but would you mind telling them to put their guns down?"

"No." Gwen cut in. "Who Are You? Tell me now."

"I'm The Doctor." The Doctor smiled – it had been a long time since he'd last gotten to say that. Gwen dropped her gun with a clatter.

"Jack's Doctor?" she asked.

"The very same." He grinned, because he was quite obviously not the very same.

"Put the guns down, Ryan." She addressed the muscled man. "They're safe."

"That they are!" Jack had appeared on the balcony and came to stand next to Martha. The muscled man – Ryan – lowered his guns, reassured now that 3 of them had told him they were no threat. The Doctor and River stepped away from The TARDIS, and Jack and Martha hurried down the staircase to greet them.

"New face?" Martha remarked after hugging The Doctor and admiring his features.

"New clothes..." added Gwen, eyeing his bowtie. Martha was the first to remark on the appearance of River.

"New companion!" she smiled.

"Ah! This is River!" The Doctor introduced her to everyone. At the beginnings of their relationship, he would have had no idea what to introduce her as – his companion? She was much more than that. His... girlfriend? The Doctor was glad that he could now simply say...

"She's my wife." With a grin.

Ryan and the girl with the glasses shook her hand, and Martha did the same.

"This is my new team... like them so far?" Jack winked. Ryan shuffled his feet guiltily.

"Sorry for the whole "holding you at gunpoint thing" and all..."

"No hard feelings..." The Doctor reassured him.

Jack patted Ryan on the back.

"Ryan is our arms man, Doctor – I'm sure you're not too fond of that but I assure you we are a [mainly] docile organization." Gwen snorted at that, but Jack continued. "This is Katie, our head of information – and you know Martha."

Martha offered a slight smile, still looking very pale. Jack threw out his arms.

"And that concludes The Torchwood London II team!"

They were interrupted by the sound of a door slamming as another man entered through a side door. His face as hidden behind a pile of pizza boxes, which he set down on a table before going over to Gwen and asking her in an equally thick Welsh accent –

"Who the hell is this?" while gesturing towards The Doctor, who was busy observing the newly-installed rift manipulator.

"Rhys, this is The Doctor. He's an alien." Gwen told him.

"He doesn't look it." Rhys observed.

"That's because he's a humanoid alien." Jack explained, slapping The Doctor's hand away from the vortex regulator which had started to glow and whir alarmingly.

"He's a what?" Rhys pulled his head back, obviously not understanding a word he had said.

"Never mind. Doctor, this is Rhys, my husband."

"Also our temp-"Jack cut in, but was then cut off by Rhys.

"Shut up, you. I'm head of communications and external operations" he announced proudly.

"Who needs titles?" Jack asked jokingly.

"A temp does." Gwen giggled.

"Oi!" Rhys glared. "Watch it, you."

"I'm sure your job is perfectly important." The Doctor said, in an attempt to be polite, but he was only met by questions from the ever-curious Rhys.

"So what are you, then?"

"I'm a timelord." He said seriously.

"So what's she, then?" he asked, gesturing towards River.

"She's part timelord. Otherwise, part-human." He explained.

"How is she part-human?" he asked indignantly.

"Well, she has human parents, but was... ahem... conceived... in the time vortex, making her part timelord." His explanation that had started off awkwardly finished in the proud declaration of her species.

"So she's not a real alien – I mean timelord – then?"

The Doctor was growing impatient – and a little bit frustrated.

"She's timelord enough to carry my baby..." he muttered.

Martha snapped her head around at the mention of a baby, before turning to look at River, who suddenly found six pairs of eyes on her.

"She's pregnant?" Jack asked. His face was lit by surprise, but it didn't look like it was surprise at the pregnant bit – more like the fact that she was pregnant now.

"Yes, she's pregnant," The Doctor said, almost proudly – "And we've got work to do."

**Here's how my chapter character list looks right now:**

**17- Doctor, River, Jack, Martha, Ryan, Katie, TIME_FOETUS (I know right)**

**18- Doctor, River, TIME_FOETUS**

**19- Doctor, River, Amy, Rory, TIME_FOETUS (sensing a pattern?)**

**20- Doctor, River, Amy, Rory, Jack, Martha, Ryan, Katie, TIME_FOETUS (always 3)**

**Sound exciting? How's this for exciting? For the next six days, you've got daily updates. WORD.**


	17. Miracle Morning

**So you know those daily updates? There's a catch. I'm leaving for DofE on Sunday Morn British Time, and I don't get back till Tuesday night. That means there won't be any updates until at least Tuesday night. If you're lucky, then I'll write loads when I'm away, and I can update daily after that, but I'm not totally sure. I think I'll be away for a while during the holidays, anyway. Enjoy the dailies while they're availies. (That was a rubbish rhyme)**

**17. Miracle Morning**

The Doctor emerged from The TARDIS to see the group gathering around a meeting table in a newly-furnished room. He quickly rolled the wheelbarrow into the room and round to the front of the table.

Jack cleared his throat and they all drew out chairs, sitting down. Jack himself leaned casually against the chair at the head of the table, looking from The Doctor to River, who sat by the corners of the table. Looking down the room, Jack's gaze fell on Gwen and Rhys, who were sitting opposite each other, and then Ryan and Katie who sat next to each other on his right. On the left sat Martha, looking slightly better but still like she could throw up at any second. Jack stood up straight and walked round to stand behind River's chair. The Doctor handed round the timelord pregnancy books, and then took his seat across from River near the head of the table where Jack was standing.

"Alright, team – here's the brief: The Doctor has only gone and knocked up Miss Song. While that is lovely, there are a few kinks in the plan we need to straighten out. This baby won't be exactly... normal." River snorted.

"That's a bit of an understatement." She muttered.

"Problem number one," Jack continued. "Miss Song is not human. More than that, she has completely unique DNA. There has never been any one like her in the history of the universe. Problem number two. The Doctor is a timelord. Using the books he's provided us with, the development information that we'll get from their parents next time they visit, and a whole lot of guesswork, we can monitor how the baby develops and predict its growth." Jack nodded to Martha, who was taking notes.

"You're in charge of tests and scans, Martha. Essentially, you're their paediatrician. He took out two white leather-bound notebooks from his coat, tossing one to Martha and handing the other to The Doctor. "These are our baby diaries – this is how we'll keep track of the baby's development. Listen up, kids, because this is where it gets complicated. They're time travellers – they won't arrive in the right order. We're actually lucky that this is their first visit; she could easily have turned up 9 months pregnant. Katie, I want you to map out their timelines, we need to keep track of where we intersect. Rhys, we're going to need to order in some new equipment – standard hospital issue for maternity wards. Ryan – you're in charge of baby-proofing the entire headquarters." He offered a sympathetic smile.

"Good luck with that..." River turned to him, glancing around the place. The whole headquarters was practically a death-trap!

"I'd worry more about yourself, River – you're the one that's got to carry and give birth to the baby..." Jack reminded her.

"But hopefully by the time you come back next, we'll be able to tell you a bit more about what to expect." Martha said, in an attempt to make up for Jack's insensitive comment.

"Alright, kids – let's get to work." Jack ordered, and suddenly everyone had dispersed, scurrying off to their work stations to do their jobs. Martha ushered River over to her lab, and Jack called The Doctor into his office. From the balcony window he could see the entire headquarters – there were no walls between the departments and everyone essentially worked in the same space.

Jack sat down behind his desk, and then swung his legs up onto the desk, leaning his head back onto his hands, looking extremely pleased with himself.

"You've got a team, Jack!" The Doctor grinned.

"I've had teams before, Doctor" he stated nonchalantly. He hadn't yet forgotten...

"But this one's brilliant!" The Doctor was practically hopping up and down like a child. Jack stood up, walking over to the balcony and gesturing widely with his arms.

"I only take the best, Doctor..."

"I can see that..." The Doctor looked down on the space below him – every member o the team was doing their job with ease and precision – Ryan was attaching baby gates to the hydraulic lift, Katie had set up a massive timeline display on the far wall and Martha was busy scanning his wife. They were the perfect team – perfect for them.

The Doctor turned around to look at Jack seriously.

"What did you mean, Jack? When you said it was all going to change?" he furrowed his brow. He didn't like it when people withheld things like this from him, not when they were important things that could change their future.

"I meant this, Doctor. The baby..."

"You knew this could happen?" he asked incredulously.

"I knew it was going to happen – we live our timelines in two halves, Doctor. I've already met your child." The Doctor's eyes went wide.

"You have?" Jack chuckled.

"Back in Cardiff, things fell apart. I was sent to America for a while – and you found me there – you, River and the baby. I'm kind of the... cool uncle."

"Spoilers..." The Doctor whispered, entranced by the idea that Jack could tell him all about his child already. He wasn't sure if he wanted to stop Jack talking or to find out more.

"You need to know that, Doctor – You told me that I should tell you that much."

"OK, then – who am I to argue with myself?" He shrugged.

Just then, they heard a sickening retching noise from down below in the lab.

"Doctor!" They heard River yell. He snapped his head around. His eyes immediately fell on River – but she was looking at Martha, who was bent over the floor. Jack and The Doctor ran over to the lab area, but Martha stood up immediately, wiping her mouth and running to fetch something to clear up the mess she'd made.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she whimpered, wiping away the mess with the mop she'd retrieved.

"Martha?" The Doctor asked hesitantly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I... I just haven't been feeling all that well. It's probably just a 24 hour bug, you know, it'll pass." She waved away his concern, putting the mop back in its place and brushing her clothes down nervously.

"In that case..." Jack began. "How are you doing with those scans?"

"Oh, we've done everything we need for now. All we need is my development notes from after my birth." River answered for Martha, who had turned away with a vial of her blood.

"Well, we can't do anything else until we've got them." Jack shrugged. "I'm thinking you should come back here, a week on in your timeline, but with her parents. We can ask them some questions then."

"But what if we turn up months in the future?" The Doctor asked.

"Doesn't matter." Jack answered. "As long as it's before the birth, childhood development notes won't be needed until later."

"Gotcha." The Doctor nodded. _Never saying that again._

"You've got a week to kill – but don't go doing anything reckless, alright?" Jack questioned.

"Wouldn't dream of it, sweetie…" River hopped off the examination table, and grabbed The Doctor's hand. "Come on, let's go. Places to be, people to shoot, clothes to ridicule..." she trailed off, looking at The Doctor threateningly.

"Don't you start..." he whined, leading them towards The TARDIS. He just opened the door when she turned back towards the room and remembered.

"My jacket..." she murmured. "I left it in the meeting room. You go, set the coordinates for our garden, I'll be back in a minute." She kissed him on the cheek and he felt himself blush. She briskly walked back the meeting room, picking up her jacket. She turned to leave - but instead saw what looked like the back of Katie's head being pressed up against the balcony window...

She cocked her head curiously, only to see that Katie and Ryan were... kissing. In the workplace. _Scandalous._

She grinned, practically skipping down the steps and into The TARDIS. Life was good – she was with The Doctor – and they had a baby, a baby that was going to save worlds and shoot hats and be... brilliant.

**I know a lot of you are American, and Americans spell foetus "fetus", but I'm British and Doctor Who is British so I think that makes this fanfic British. As a British fanfic, I think it should have the British spelling for foetus. I managed to say British five times in that paragraph. I managed to say British six times in that paragraph I managed to say British seven times in that paragraph. I managed to say...**

**I'll stop now.**

**Let's see how many timey wimey things you can consider in that... all will become clear when they arrive again in three chapters time, but a bit further on than they'd intended.**

**Next chapter : River and The Doctor.**

**Chapter after that: Pond family picnic...(with a sword!)**


	18. Fragile

**I've had this review from one "nerdyforestgirl" :**

"_**ryan is an alian or something evil and he is some how killing martha and is now aftwr kate"**_

**Close, but no cigar. In Chapter 20 we'll find out what's happening to Martha.**

**I've tried to do a cutesy one that's also a bit sad and a bit funny. It hasn't really worked, and it came out just a bit angsty. Oh well, I suppose the angst will have to do for now, you've got the picnic tomorrow and after that another 5-part special!**

**18. Fragile**

"Where to next, Miss Song?" asked The Doctor, flipping a lever to his right.

"I'm perfectly fine where I am, Sweetie." She gestured in front of her, where The Doctor was slowly being pressed further into the console. The Doctor's mouth fell open slightly and a strangled hiss escaped his lips.

"Not any... planets... you want... to go... to River?" he was struggling to form a coherent thought, let alone words. He hated when River was such a tease – well, actually, that wasn't true. But it wasn't decent of her to not play fair. River finally pulled away, skipping around the central column. She grinned mischievously, spinning a dial on the console before turning on her heel, leaning backwards with her hands against the edge of it.

"I was thinking..." she began.

"Always are..." The Doctor chuckled, circling the column himself until he was standing directly in front of River.

"Don't tease me – it's rude." She mock-pouted. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, walking forward slowly until his hips were lightly touching River's.

"River, you bad, bad girl..." he growled into her ear. "Did no one ever tell you that teasing-" he leaned forward _just_ so to reach a button that was just out of his reach. "Is a two-way street?" His arms retracted from the console, but his body remained pressed against hers.

"Doctor..." she murmured. "I was thinking..." she shot him a warning look – "Mexico." She finished. The Doctor grinned.

"Mexico! That sounds good! I..." River cut him off.

"I mean _old _Mexico, Doctor. Aztec Mexico." It was her turn to grin now. The Doctor's grin vanished, replaced only by widened eyes and a brow laced with worry.

"You mean Aztec Mexico with the cacao beans? With the Eagle and the Snake? With... with..." his voice trailed off, and he brought his head forwards to level with River's. "River... they sacrificed humans – all the time!"

"Oh, sweetie! What are the chances that something's going to happen to us? I'm sure it will all be fine!" She made a swatting motion in the air, as if to brush away his reluctance. Indeed The Doctor's reluctance did leave his face, but instead of the joyous enthusiasm that River would have considered the best case scenario, his eyes grew old and he withdrew from his position quickly, dashing around the console and beginning to pilot The TARDIS somewhere that River could tell wasn't Mexico. He stopped his feverish movements for a minute to turn to River, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Everything's going to be fine, River – because we're not going." His voice was somehow strict but reassuring at the same time. How was that even possible?

"Why not?" she asked indignantly. "Why can't we go?"

"It's too dangerous." He simply stated, and then he just walked away, assuming the conversation was over and that there wouldn't be any further discussion on the subject.

"What if I want to go?" The Doctor couldn't believe it – now really wasn't the time for River to act all tough and rebellious. She continued venting her frustration, feeling much she had the time that she had tried to kiss The Doctor on her 17th birthday, and he had shuffled away awkwardly, leaving her to be scolded by her parents. "I'm not a child anymore, Doctor."

"I know you're not a child! But you're carrying mine!" the dispute had begun to escalate, which in The Doctor's opinion was very bad. Extremely very not good, in fact. They never fought. Never ever. They had playful banter and teasing and innuendos and... _them_ stuff, but never, in their whole relationship, had they ever fought.

"It's my body, Doctor! I can do what I like with it! What does it matter to you what happens to me?" She didn't want them to fight, either. She hated it when they fought – but this was a matter of pride for her, something she wouldn't give up, as she had inherited from her mother.

The Doctor turned from his pacing, and stood completely still in front of her. His eyes grew darker than she'd ever seen them, and he began to walk slowly towards her. She was – she couldn't believe it – scared. Scared, by the gentle, good Doctor. But as soon as she thought this, the anger had gone from his face, which was now just – empty. Pained, even. She dared to look directly into his eyes, hoping that she hadn't upset him –but he was... almost _crying._

At least, there were tears in his eyes.

He was looking at her, and then down to her stomach, which he brought closer to himself by gently pulling her by the hips.

"What does it _matter_ to me what happens to you?" he asked, voice trembling. "What do you think, River?" it wasn't a rhetorical question, but she didn't know how to answer it. She just mumbled a few phrases along the lines of

"I don't know..."

"Of course it matter to me if something happens to you, River, I – I love you with my whole hearts. You, and this baby – for which I love you even more, though I didn't even think that was possible." He looked piercingly into her eyes, further into her soul than anyone had ever seen before.

"I'm sorry for overreacting, I just... I don't want you to write me off as too fragile just because I'm carrying this baby." She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. He pulled her closer against his chest, wrapping his arms around her back.

They stayed that way for a few minutes, just hugging and comforting each other, not needing words to convey the regret they felt at falling out. A silent apology was handed between the two of them. After what seemed like hours, or even several days, they broke apart, but their arms still hung on each others shoulders.

"We'll be careful, Sweetie – but I'm not going to sit cooped up in here for 9 months just because you're afraid I'll shatter like a piece of sugar glass..."

"I'm sorry – I know you're stronger than that, River – but you of all people must know that even the stronger people have their moments of doubt. And if there's any time for yours to show, it'd be now. So... River? I, uh... how are you handling the whole... pregnant thing?" this was his attempt at playing pregnant mother counsellor – he wasn't expecting what would happen next.

"I'm... I'm..." she began.

"Yes?" The Doctor nodded, trying to silently encourage her to finish what she was trying to say.

"I'm... I'm scared, Doctor." She admitted in a trembling voice.

And suddenly, his hearts nearly broke.

Because his hearts – _his _hearts, that practically sang their own rhythm, that beat with the very pulse of time – were only as strong as she was.

And though she was strong – nobody, least of all The Doctor would deny that – strong people... Strong things, like his hearts, which were actually dependent on her strength – were allowed to be fragile every now and again.

He pulled her into his chest again, rubbing his hands up and down her back, and whispering into her ear.

"It's going to be okay, River."

"I know, Sweetie." She whispered quietly against his chest.

"You and me, River. You, me and our Impossible Child. We'll be our own little Impossible Family."

**Review for bi-polar angry/vulnerable River?**

**Or for The Pond Family Picnic next chapter? (with a sword!)**


	19. Family Day Out, Pregnant Aftermath In

**Ooooohhhh no! My plan to upload yesterday was thwarted, and I can't update tomorrow either! Before I leave, I will give you an extra special, extra long chapter!**

**Sorry sorry sorry again!**

**19. Family Day Out (Pregnant Aftermath In)**

After what they would later refer to as "The Aztec Incident", The Doctor and River both mutually agreed to take it relatively easy. Martha had cleared her for running, but not for near-death experiences, which pretty much ruled out most of the known universe.

The week was subsequently spent accordingly – most of the mornings in their bedroom, all of lunch/breakfast/whichever in-between meal or snack took their fancy in and around The TARDIS kitchen, and their afternoons in three or four minor adventures.

On the seventh day, they woke up just like they would on any other day – they practised her Gallifreyan a little, then plodded sleepily into the kitchen. River found she had lost her appetite, but The Doctor had approximately 19 Jammie Dodgers, still mourning the loss (well, consumption) of his Giant Jammie Dodger. The Doctor was just brushing his teeth in front of the mirror when he froze, promptly spitting out the mouthful of toothpaste into the sink and scurrying over to where River was brushing her hair.

He...forgot what he had come to say. River looked at him curiously, wondering why his somewhat worried look had been replaced with an expression of awe. She put down the hairbrush she'd been using back on the bedside table, brushing a few stray curls away from her face.

"Yes, Sweetie?" she asked innocently.

"River..." he began, picking up his train of thought from where it had been, lost in thoughts of her hair. _Again_. "It's been a week..." he waved his arms awkwardly. The problem with The Doctor was that he refused to make a statement, only gesturing with the intention of her knowing what he was truing to say without him even giving her a clue. The problem with River was that she always knew exactly what he was trying to say, but refused to address his attempted statement until he had actually used his words. She gave him her look – the "I'm not answering him until he actually asks me" face. He shuffled his feet awkwardly and mumbled

"It's been a week..." River smiled.

"Yes it has..."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" he asked.

"Very much, Sweetie – what were you saying again?" he was no wearing his cross face.

"If Rory kills me, it'll be all your fault." She chuckled, with what The Doctor swore was a vindictive expression.

"It won't be that bad, Sweetie." She cooed sympathetically. "We could always lie and say that we're celibate and that I was bitten by something..." he folded his arms.

"It'll be fine... as long as he doesn't bring his sword..." he grimaced.

...

Of all the days The Doctor could have landed in Leadworth, he chose the night of the hospital staff party – which, unluckily for The Doctor, was a fancy dress party. The Doctor cursed inwardly, putting on a wry smile as they walked towards The TARDIS. Amy met them outside the ship once she had called her aunt to check on Melody, straightening her skirt.

"You kept that?" The Doctor asked, realising what it was she was wearing – it was the same policewoman's outfit from 5 years ago.

"It would just be a waste to throw it away." Amy reasoned. "It's come in handy every now and again..." she trailed off, eyes falling onto Rory, who cleared his throat hurriedly, straightening the chest plate that covered his torso. River scrunched her eyes shut, grimacing at the unnecessary information provided by her parents. She looked at The Doctor, wondering what his reaction would be, but he seemed to have missed it altogether, instead snapping his fingers to open The TARDIS doors then rushing inside.

"So when are we?" River asked her parents as they entered the console room.

"It's been 3 months since the wedding..." Amy replied, furrowing her brow trying to remember.

"Well it's only been 6 weeks for us..." she smiled lightly, throwing a wink at The Doctor which her parents completely missed.

"Where are you taking us, Doctor?" Amy asked, leaning onto the console.

"Thought we could have a day out – a lunch, or something..."

"Sounds good..." Rory nodded, even thought it was totally odd because they had had dinner hours before. The Doctor clapped his hands together, dashing to The TARDIS kitchen to fetch some food. While he was gone, River made small talk with her parents – which felt warm, but not completely normal just yet – though it was an improvement, and they had started to really connect with her as their daughter. The Doctor quickly returned with a wicker folding basket, placing it carefully in the space below the console. Before taking the controls of The TARDIS, he gently took River by the hands, urging her to sit down into the chair. She rolled her eyes as The Doctor skipped a few steps to the console. He refused to remove the brakes as per normal, but to everyone's astonishment, as soon as The TARDIS had taken off, he turned on the stabilizers. The TARDIS began flying smoothly, and due to the lack of turbulence, and awkward silence fell between the four. Rory rocked back on the balls of his feet, clearing his throat.

"So, Doctor – where are we going... and why are the stabilizers on?" his second question was avoided by The Doctor, but the first was soon to be answered by the sight outside The TARDIS doors...

...

A half hour later and they were spread out on the grass, tucking into the food The Doctor had packed. The only person not eating anything was River, as she still was not hungry. The Doctor was surprised neither of them had figured out was going on yet, after all, they were both quite intelligent people and Rory _was_ a nurse. She had even refuse a glass of wine – if that didn't scream "Pregnant River", The Doctor didn't know what did.

It was, again, small talk that dominated the conversation. And, of course, a few private jokes. It was actually getting quite awkward until River started looking quite pale, holding her hands to her stomach and groaning.

"River?" The Doctor asked, concern dominating his features. "Are you alright?"

"I think I'm going to be sick..." she whispered, before turning away from the others and vomiting onto the ground.

Of course, the picnic didn't continue for long after that. River was still looking quite ill, so they all headed back to The TARDIS. The Doctor had promised Amy and Rory an adventure, so when he called it off, River insisted that he still go, and that she'd be fine in The TARDIS on her own. He led her to their bedroom and helped into bed, but when she tried to send him off with her parents, he wouldn't have it.

"I'm not leaving you alone here..." he protested, fully intending to stay with her until she felt better.

"I'm fine, it's probably just a bug or something I ate yesterday - you go off with Mum and Dad, and I'll just stay here. I'll be alright, it'll pass soon." She tried to wave away his concern with her hand.

"I'm not leaving you alone – you know very well it's not a bug, River, and I'm not leaving you alone in your condition."

"What condition?" The Doctor turned his head around to see that Amy and Rory had entered the room, looking concerned at what they could be talking about. River looked at The Doctor, who nodded. She sat up on the bed, looking straight at her parents.

"Mum, Dad – I'm pregnant."

**Review for Pond Family Picnic (with a sword, which he's still carrying!)?**

**Or, failing that, Review for Five part special in two days?**


	20. Not Your Average Obstetrician

**This is like ch5, in 5 mini sections. I've got to do DofE so I'll be off for a few days. I hope afterwards I'll be back with a vengeance!**

**20. Not Your Average Obstetrician **

_I – Highly Improbable_

"Mum, Dad – I'm pregnant."

Nothing. Zip. No response from them – not even a word. The Doctor poked hi head around River, where he had begun to hide. Neither of them were showing any signs of life – in fact, it was starting to worry him, so he stepped around her, crossing the room and circling Amy and Rory, even stopping to wave his hand in front of Rory's face.

"Sweetie, I wouldn't do that if I were you..." River warned him, but it was too late. Rory's blank stare switched from looking at nowhere at all to The Doctor's face, in particular his nose, to which his fist connected momentarily.

"Ow!" The Doctor yelled, clutching his hand to his face.

"Dad!" River shrieked, rushing forward to shield The Doctor from any further damage that Rory might choose to inflict on him. The Doctor staggered back, then scrunched his features together.

"It's okay, Rory, I understand. You're angry, so just... just punch me again." He stood in front of Rory, eyes held tightly shut as if awaiting a prison sentence – but luckily for him the first blow to the nose seemed to be enough to vent his anger. His expression was still threatening though and River was still genuinely scared that he was going to throw another punch, possibly ruining The Doctor's baby face forever.

"Dad... dad, just calm down." She approached him slowly with her arms reaching out to calm him. Even Amy was stealthily removing the sword from his belt. She quickly placed it out of his reach, and joined her daughter in her efforts to dissuade Rory from brining The Doctor's number of regenerations to 11. At last Rory was able to form a verbal response.

"It's alright, Doctor. I'm not going to kill you." The Doctor sprang up from his defensive crouching position in surprise.

"Really? But I don't understand... I impregnated your daughter!" Rory and River winced at the bluntness of this statement, but Amy merely took a chance because of the break in the proceedings to hug River.

"I can't believe it..." she whispered.

"Neither can I..." replied River, shaking her head with disbelief. "I though it was impossible..."

They broke up apart to see The Doctor smiling smugly.

"It's not impossible per say... just highly improbable."

_II – Timey Wimey_

After a quick explanation of what and who Torchwood was, they arrived in London, stepping out of the TARDIS and seeing Jack come over to greet them.

"Nice to see you, guys... I assume this is Amy and Rory? But.. this means that you've only just been told to bring them..." he trailed off, looking very alarmed, then just smiled, shaking his head. "Aren't you in for a surprise..."

Looking around, The Doctor could see what he was talking about – they must have arrived months into the future, because everything looked completely different. The timeline display on the far wall was much more detailed and painful to look at because of its complexity, and it looked like several machines had been installed in the lab. River immediately went over to the area, where she could see Martha's back leaning over some apparatus. All she wanted to do was find a cure for her nausea – which was probably going to be a constant force during her pregnancy. But, as Martha turned around, River stopped running, just staring at her. The Doctor had turned to cross the room and join them for River's check-up, but he saw it too...

Martha was with child.

Her belly was enormously swollen, and although the bags around her eyes made her look very tired, she had a sort of pregnant... well, glow about her. She smiled warmly, waving politely at Rory and Amy. As she turned to the side to switch on a monitor, they could really see how big she had gotten – she had to be months along.

"I take it from your surprise faces that you've never seen me pregnant before... that you know of." She chuckled.

"That we know of?" The Doctor asked.

"If you're just bringing her parents, then the last time you saw me I was about 5 weeks along. That morning sickness was a pain." She frowned, remembering the state she was in. "I'm 7 months, now..." she smiled faintly, fiddling with the pencil in her hands nervously.

"Congratulations..." The Doctor smiled.

"I could say the same thing to you..." Martha nodded towards River, who was now sitting on the examination table.

Martha conducted a variety of scans over the next half hour, all the while talking to Amy and Rory about River's childhood, which it was concluded was completely normal apart from a few extra quirks that happened to come with the timelord DNA. She ran through the finished list to check she had gotten everything down.

"Okay, here we go... we've got... abnormally strong, unprecedented stamina, of course the two hearts, IQ off the charts... and the regenerations..." she continued checking down the list, while River nodded, at each one and The Doctor listened intently for snippets about her childhood that he hadn't experienced yet. Martha continued – "minor bouts of telepathy, mild electrostatic current running through skin during adolescence," The Doctor looked at River, alarmed but this last, "Eidetic memory, advanced reflexes, occasional premonition. I think that's it – and most of those were just during puberty, so you'll have to watch out because we can't be sure how it's going to affect this one."

"I don't think it's anything we can't handle. Right, River?" The Doctor turned to River, only to see her bent on the floor once more, having thrown up again.

"Oh god...she moaned, wiping around her mouth and looking up at Martha. "Do you know anything I can take for this?" Martha nodded.

"It's advanced morning sickness – unfortunately, due to the amount of energy the foetus requires, a lot of the usual symptoms of pregnancy are increased. Don't worry, the second time you visited us The Doctor brought some special tea grown in the orchards of Opalla's second moon. We keep a lot of it in the kitchen for when you get sick." She turned round and called out to Katie "Would you mind making some tea for River?"

_III – Children_

"Ryan, let me do it. Martha told _me_ to do it." Katie protested as he filled the kettle.

"I'm just as capable as you are, Katie! Just because I'm a man doesn't mean you can stereotype me! I can make a bloody cup of tea!" He shouted back, even though he was sort of spilling it on the counter.

"You want to talk about stereotypes?" she asked, hands on her hips. "How about you refusing to let me drive this morning? It's my car, for Christ's sake!"

"I was trying to protect you from a premature death! If I had let you drive, we'd both be at the bottom of The Thames!" He was frantically trying to stop the mug overflowing now.

"I'll show you a premature death if you don't stop talking and start stirring, Ryan!" Jack yelled above their fighting as River fought another wave of nausea.

"What's up with them?" The Doctor asked.

"Lover's spat. They just moved in together and things have gone a bit sour. They'll be fine, though – but they've been really annoying lately."

He watched as Ryan scurried over with River's tea.

"And speaking of children..." The Doctor followed his gaze over to the main door where Gwen and Rhys had just come through, trailing a little girl of about five behind them.

_IV – Baby Fever_

"You've got a baby, too?" The Doctor asked incredulously.

"Except mine's actually not a baby anymore – she's five now, Doctor." Gwen smiled down at her daughter, who had gone off to play with some harmless alien artefact.

"What's her name?" River asked, feeling a lot better since she had drank her tea.

"Ophelia. Like the flower." Rhys answered her, dropping his bag by his desk.

"Everyone's got babies!" Amy observed, although her observation was more of a shriek. She had always had a soft spot for children, and looking around her all she could see was the happiness of their parents.

"What do you mean?" asked Katie.

"Well, River and The Doctor have a baby on the way, Martha's seven months pregnant, these guys have got a toddler!" she smiled, patting Ophelia's dark curls.

"I suppose you two'll be next!" she joked, gesturing towards Katie and Ryan.

Both of them went bright red. Clearly, it was too early in their relationship for the topic of children to come up. Katie shot a frantic look at Martha, silently urging her to change the subject.

"The tests are ready!" she announced, and soon River and The Doctor found themselves sitting around the meeting table they had been at during their last visit except with a much larger company and Martha giving them a rough estimate of how their child would develop.

_V – Conclusion_

"Okay, judging by the development notes of humans and timelords, and the information your parents have given me, I can only assume that the baby's going to develop as a mix of all three. I've made some estimates, but you'll need to keep coming back, probably every week so that we can keep track of how it's coming along. Of course, this could get complicated with what you know about us now, so you have to keep quiet about the things that you've seen here today. That means my baby, and also Ryan and Katie. At the time of your first visit, we didn't know they were together. I know the way we found out, but remember – if you accidentally rewrite time, our whole timestreams..."

She gestured to the map on the far wall that could be seen faintly through the balcony glass –

"Could collapse, causing God knows what. In order to protect all of us, especially the baby, we need to be very careful. Even more so because the more people know about this child, the higher the possibility that someone with bad intentions could find out. This child will not be turned into a weapon. We all need to work together on this. Is that understood?" Martha finished her explanation, directing the question at the whole group.

It wasn't just that she was asking if they had understood, she was also indirectly asking them if they were going to help.

Judging by the fact that they already were, The Doctor knew that they could all be trusted.

Nothing was going to harm this impossible child.

_**Now **_**do you see what was happening to Martha?**

**I had a dream last night. I was coming back from my expedition and a whole load of reviews were dancing in the street, leading me home. It was a good dream.**


	21. What I Did For Tea

**1. I'm sorrysorrysorrysorry! I know its been absolutely ages since I last updated, I got my dates wrong and ended up leaving for vietnam as soon as I came back from dofe! I don't have a laptop so I've had to sit in the lobby of our hotel with my mum's tablet, and it's unlikely that I'll be able to post another update before I get back which is about 12 days away, but I will try my damned hardest!**

**2. Omfg eyepatch river! Slowly rendered gifs from tumblr have left me as confuzzled as everyone else probably is! **

**3. As well as writing for this story, I've also started writing the start to a few more multichapter stories, which I'll get round to posting in the coming weeks. These include a Teenage!River/Doctor story, and a planned series of one-shots, again for River/Doctor, entitled "Must Be Saturday". If you see these floating around, please check them out and tell me how they are!**

**4. I am in desperate need of baby names, so please review and leave me suggestions, boys and girls, because although I already know which its going to be, both will be needed for other things (such as a sequel, which I may or may not write, depending on how this ends).**

**Anyway, on with the fic!**

21. What I Did For Tea

River's nausea completely cleared after the Opalla tea - so much so that she took a lot of it back into The TARDIS with her. The TARDIS seemed strangely empty after the hustle and bustle of Torchwood London - but the good thing about The Doctor and River was that they didn't need to fill their life's silences. They were both solitary travelers, brought together, and they were both filled with the buzz of pregnant happiness. Not physically for The Doctor of course, but the joy of being a father again was so overwhelming that he felt like he could burst.

It was with this optimism that they ventured to Opalla's second moon in the hope of retrieving the tea they'd been given. It didn't make much sense - they already had plenty so there was little point in getting anymore, except that in order to prevent a paradox, they'd have to get some to give to Torchwood or else they wouldn't have had it in the first place... It was all very timey wimey and confusing.

Unfortunately, Opalla Tea (c) seemed to be a rare commodity, and the being that managed the large scale farm where it was grown didn't take too kindly to The Doctor. River? That was a completely different story. Apparently she was fascinating, because the creature wouldn't take its eyes off her. Rubbing its purple hands together greedily, its thin voice rasped

"How much?" eyeing River with the creepiest of looks.

"I beg your pardon?" The Doctor spluttered.

"How much for her?" He nodded towards River, but directed his question to The Doctor.

"She's not for sale." He spoke firmly but darkly. "We're here for some tea. If you'd kindly with it, we'll pay and be on our way." He obviously didn't want to spend any more time thanwas necessary on the farm, what with the alien wanting to purchase his wife and the mother of his child. However, having been denied strictly, the alien refused to play ball.

"I'm sorry, we're having some supply issues - money is a bit tight and so prices are inflated. If you'd like to sweeten the deal, though..." he was cut off immediately.

"I don't think so." The Doctor was growing increasingly impatient. River, sensing the rising tensions of the situation, stepped in between them, talking calmly but firmly.

"Money won't be a problem, but we are in a bit of a hurry."

"Very well." The creature seemed resigned to their defiance. "We'll process your order as quickly as we can. In the meantime, please step this way." He led them through to a small room where they sat in silence for a few minutes. After about 15 of them, The Doctor stopped twiddling his thumbs and turned to River.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, speaking across the room to where she was seated - apparently the plantation wasn't used to couple's visits, only suppliers and business clients, so the seatswere separated few and far between.

"I'm alright, I guess. The tea has all but cured the nausea, but my head hurts a bit. I'll be alright once I'm back in the TARDIS." She winced once she'd finished speaking, her head paining her more than she'd Doctor stood up, crossing the distance between them immediately, kneeling on the floor in front of her and placing his hands on her temple. She closed her eyes, and The Doctor focused on trying to clear her mind. Within a few moments, the headache had cleared. She opened her eyes, exhaling loudly. He took his hands back.

"Better?" He asked concernedly.

"Thank you..." she leant back in her chair. He reached back out to cup her face gently.

"I know you're tired, River. It won't be much longer until we've got as much tea as we could possibly need, and then we can go right away. After that, we can in bed for as long as we want."

"You haveno idea how good that sounds..." she smiled, the corner of her mouth stretching to meet his palm.

Somebody coughed from the doorway.

They both turned to see the alien shuffling into the room. The Doctor stood up immediately, soon followed by River, who hoped for nothing more than the instant deliverance of their order so that they could get back to The TARDIS as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the alien remained as stubborn as before, shifting its feet and beginning to drone:

"We regret to inform you that we cannot fulfill your request without further payment." The Doctor sighed and began to take out his unlimited credit card, but the alien shook its head.

"Alternative payment is required."

"I don't think so." The Doctor said again, stepping in front of River, fully expecting the alien to request that _she _should be payment. "I've told you before, she's not for sale." River began to panic - if they couldn't bring back the tea, they could risk the collapse of a timeline or two.

"There must be something else we can give you..." River suggested, attempting to resolve the situation.

"Actually..." The alien began, sensing an opportunity, "There is a favour you could do me." He regarded them suspiciously - it was clear that this favour would most likely be illegal.

"What is it?" River asked.

"I'm sure you've heard of Michael Neummacher?" The alien tried to ease them into whatever crime he would require them to commit.

"I'm sorry, we're not from around here..." The Doctor explained.

"He runs an inter-galactic coffee growing and brewing business." River told The Doctor without hesitation. Obviously she was more familiar with the beverage market than he was.

"He's opened a new factory on the other side of his planet - and it's killing business - literally." The alien continued.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked.

"This is a farming _moon_. My plantation stretches along he surface of this whole world, but the fumes from the new factory are polluting he atmosphere, making it nearly impossible for the crops to grow. We can't fill _any _orders because we aren't turning out any new stock."

At last The Doctor understood that the issue wasn't that he wouldn't sell River, it was due to a genuine supply deficit.

"What do you want us to do?" River asked.

"Infiltrate the factory and stop production permanently. I don't care how you do it, just get it done. Do that, and I'll give you the last of our current stock." The alien shuffled away to yell at an employee, leaving River to turn to The Doctor and say:

"I say we blow it up."

The Doctor frowned, pausing to consider the benefits and negatives of that plan.

"Or something along those lines..." River amended, as if dismissing that this had been her first thought. They began to walk back to The TARDIS, River scanning the ground below her with her PDA.

"Sweetie, can you sonic me? I need to boost the signal so its strong enough to scan the whole planet." The Doctor took out his screwdriver, the pointed it at her. The scanner made a noise, and they rounded the corner of the main building to reach The TARDIS.

"I've got the coordinates." She told him as the doors swung open to let them inside. Within seconds she was typing them in, then The Doctor stood across the console on the other side, allowing them to fly The TARDIS together. It looked like some kind of dance, with both of them skipping around the console, until they landed quickly on the other side of the moon.

...

5 minutes had passed since the head of the plantation had sent two strangers on a mission that involved somewhat illegal activity, and no sooner had he begun to settle down to his break when his secretary came rushing into his office, wailing and waving her hands.

"There's been an accident!" She shrieked, not even bothering to knock. "The Neummacher factory has been destroyed!" She turned on the television in the office and immediately the news could be heard blaring out into the room.

_"The cause of the explosion has yet to be identified, but witnesses say that they saw two individuals, a man and a woman, exit the facility 30 minutes ago." _

The screen displayed a blurry image of a man in a tweed suit standing next to a woman with curly hair, who turned to shoot the camera promptly. The inset footage turned to static, and then to a live feed of a reporter interviewing a representative of the company.

_"How would you say this affects the future of Neummacher industries in his region?"_

_"Unfortunately the damage was so widespread that we've had to close down the factory, probably on a permanent basis - our main concern is finding the cause of the incident..." _

The alien turned the screen off.

"Do you know what this means?" He asked his assistant. "It means that we're back in business! Tell the farmers to prepare for clear air, and fetch he last of our stock, packed up and ready to go!"

_"All _of it?" The assistant asked with wide eyes.

"Yes! Now hurry!" The assistant scuttled off, returning moments later followed by several workers trundling trolleys with crates of tea. No sooner had they all lined up by the entrance did the two people come back in again.

"Are you sure that was completely necessary, River? We could've just shut the place down by pretending we were public welfare officers and claiming hat it wasn't clean enough!"

"But that didn't sound fun at all, Sweetie! Look, it got the job done, didn't it?"

"I suppose - but I still don't understand why you have to either shoot or explode anything that gets in your way! There are other ways of doing things..."

"And there are other items of formal neckwear, Sweetie."

"Bowties are cool. But point taken."

**Please review and leave me baby names :)**


	22. Lost

**Ooh, lookie! It's another chapter from the east, this time from Cambodia!**

**I'm typing on the Playbook again which is both time-consuming and full of errors, for which I apologize in advance.**

**Please continue to leave baby names, I need lots for the actual list they make as well as the actual one (and I do already know the gender (spoilers!))**

**Anonymous reviewer "**_**Doctorwhoforever**_**" please leave me your email or account name, I need to talk to you about namey things!**

**I realize the quality of my writing has been getting progressively worse and maybe even a little lazy, but the 11/River will prevail w/ pregnant fluff and timebabies, so ON WITH THE FIC!**

22. Lost

The Doctor was entirely used to his companions wandering off - especially in The TARDIS, as it's maze of corridors and labyrinth of rooms was confusing even for him, so he was understanding when Amy or Rory had gotten lost. When it came to River, however, he was used to always knowing where she was - so he began to worry when he woke up to an empty bed in the middle of the night and he _didn't _know where she was.

He started looking in the obvious places first - the kitchen, the library, the bathroom(s) - then the slightly more obscure - the swimming pool, the pantry, the basement. He grew even more concerned because she wasn't in any of these places - losing his wife inside his own giant time machine was one thing, but losing his _pregnant_ wife, who was carrying his child, was something else. His search turned into a frantic run back through the corridors and into their bedroom, in the vain hope that she had come back there looking for him, but she was still nowhere to be found. The thing was, it wasn't that he was concerned for her safety - they were inside The TARDIS, so she would be perfectly safe, but she had gotten up in the night without waking him, so he naturally wanted to know where she was - perhaps it was curiosity that made him leave and search for her, perhaps it was just sheer loneliness.

For once, he was at a loss as to what he should do - keep on looking or wait for her to come back? He wouldn't have been able to sleep, rest or even sit there knowing that she was out there wandering the decks alone, so he set out to look again.

As he traipsed through the corridors, he traced his fingers lightly against the walls, trying to feel her presence. Being part timelord, he had always felt drawn to her - even before he even knew that she was part timelord, or why he was drawn to her - and the more time he spent around her, his mind acknowledging her proximity, the more he was able to develop a kind of... radar. Actually, it was more like a sixth sense than a radar - a sixth sense that drew him towards the console room. In hindsight, that was probably the first place he should've looked, but he had become used to living normally within the more normal rooms of The TARDIS.

He stepped slowly through the doorway, looking around for any clear sign of her, but her presence wasn't apparent. The hum of The TARDIS could be heard more clearly now, and he could only just hear the sound of her breathing, quiet, calm and regular above the noise. He silently moved down the steps to the console, catching sight of her through the grill of the floor, slumped against the central column. He slowly clambered down the second staircase, sitting himself down on the bottom step with his legs sticking out underneath be handrail.

She was asleep, timelord and human pregnancy books open on her lap. Trying to make as little noise as possible, he crept towards her, carefully taking the books from her. He turned them round so he could see what she had been reading, but stopped immediately when he saw he titles of the pages. The human pregnancy book was open on a page entitled "Occurrence of Miscarriage" and the timelord pregnancy book on "101 Risks of Timelord Pregnancies".

"Doctor?" River murmured sleepily, sitting up.

"You're awake..." The Doctor said.

"Yeah... What are you reading?" she leaned forward, not completely remembering why she had found herself here.

"I think the more appropriate question is... what were you reading?" He looked at her with an almost condemning stare, though he wasn't condemning her of anything, he just wanted to know why she was reading something like this.

"Oh..." she looked down at her feet, drawing her knees against her chest. "I was just... I just... I'm worried."

"Worried about what?" He cocked his head to one side.

"About this! Look at this!" She leaned forward, pointing to the writing on the pages. "This says that there is a higher risk of the mother of the timelord miscarrying if she's a different species, _particularly _if she's mixed species!" She flipped ahead two pages, pointing towards something else. "This says that if the species aren't compatible, an excess of time energy can cause deformities, mental disorders..." she trailed off, tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey, hey..." he pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "You're just worrying, you are _not _going to miscarry." He brushed a stray lock of hair from her eyes.

"How do you know that? How do you know that it's not going to have three heads?" She allowed the first tears to fall down her face, hitting The Doctor's shoulder and running down his chest.

"If it has three heads, we'll love it all the same." He pulled her just a little bit closer, until it seemed like he couldn't have held her more tightly if he'd tried. "Sorry to disappoint you, but it's probably not going to have three heads." She managed to laugh into his shoulder, pulling her arms from around him. She wiped the tears from her eyes, letting a small smile grace her cheeks.

"Sorry. I just get a bit worried sometimes. I've never really done the baby thing, you know? I'm not exactly mother material..." She looked guiltily at him, as if apologizing.

"Don't say that. This baby is going to the most incredible, most loved, most impossible child that has ever lived. It'll have a father that loves it with his whole hearts and the _best _mother that it could possibly hope for." He reached out to cup her face. "And you know what? It's going to be brilliant."

She took one look at the absolute euphoria etched in every line of his face, the joy written in his eyes and echoed in a grin that lit up the room, and somehow she no longer felt lost.

**I still haven't come across that name that'll make me stop and say "That's it!" so I've decided that whoever provides me with said epic name can request a one shot or prompt me or something like that. I've got some backup Greek ones in case I never find the perfect name but I would really like it to be epic and suggested by one of you. Epic. Review for epicness? Pwetty pwease ? *bats eyelashes***


	23. Time Can Be Written

**I do... *ahem* **_**spoil **_**(I'm sorry, I really am) you all. But it's just to give the most enormous virtual hug in the whoniverse. *gives most enormous virtual hug in the whoniverse* **

**Thank you all sososososososo much for 25 reviews for that last one, you are all brilliant, you beautiful people. **

**We have just reached 300 reviews. I am literally dying here. If dying means jumping up and down excitedly and becoming ten times more productive. **

**I thought I knew what gender I was making it, and I thought I already knew one of the names, but now I'm just confused :( suggestions anyone?**

**The drabble series is coming soon, folks, if any of you are wondering what happened to that. **

**ON WITH THE FIC! (I'm slightly worried that's going to turn into a catchphrase...)**

23. Time Can Be Written

River frowned.

"What day is it today?" she asked The Doctor, who was busy munching on his cereal. The infuriating man had insisted on putting custard on his Cheerios once again, resulting in a thick layer of it covering his upper lip.

"I'm not sure... I hope it's not a Thursday, you know how I feel about Thursdays..." He shook his head with disdain, scooping up the last of his breakfast. River chuckled.

"I'd have thought you would have worked it out by now - we don't really follow the days of the week. There wouldn't be much point - with everywhere we went, it would just get confusing." She passed him a napkin, which he used to wipe the custard from his mouth while nodding his agreement.

"I suppose we'd need to come up with a whole new way of measuring time - using something that's linear to both of us..." He mused while getting up from the table, cleaning and tidying away his plate.

"Maybe we should..." suggested River, standing up from her chair. She had opted for a more normal breakfast of eggs and bacon.

Suddenly intrigued by the idea of creating a system with which they could measure time between them, they headed to the nearest comfortable room they could find, which turned out to be some sort of sitting room or lounge area, judging by the assortment of sofas and settees that lined the walls. Conveniently enough, a large oak table sat directly in the center of the room, decorated as though it was some kind of study desk - sometimes The TARDIS got a bit confused, or voluntarily mixed things up just to keep things interesting. The main feature of the desk that intrigued The Doctor was the tray that contained a large pile of letterheaded paper - signed with The Doctor's name in Gallifreyan at the bottom (a bit pointless seeing as only they could understand it) and headed by a small blue drawing of The TARDIS centered at the top of the page.

Grabbing a few sheets, they began to write down a few details about this new system, and after only a couple of minutes they had come up with a reasonable conclusion.

"So, every moment before the baby is born is followed by 'BB' for 'Before Birth', and every moment after by 'PB' for 'Post Birth'. We'll have to have 'Before Birth' times forwards because we don't know how long the pregnancy will be yet."

Being very practically minded people (but only at the best of times), they immediately headed to the console room to program their new time system in. Once they had changed the default display of the scanner to read their current time, River did the same for her vortex manipulator, which automatically had the time anyway as it could tell how far along she was just by scanning her.

The Doctor, now satisfied with this newfound order, stood back and admired their handiwork. River, however, took hold of his arm and held it against the side of the scanner, tapping the keyboard a few times before letting go of his wrist and kissing him quickly on the cheek, sauntering off to put on more clothes than the pyjamas she had woken up in. The Doctor quickly skipped away from he console to follow her, looking at his hand in confusion.

"Um...River, what did you do?" He asked, following her into the wardrobe.

"I just connected your wrist chip to the scanner, sweetie - that way you'll be able to tell exactly when you are without having to count the seconds." She answered while picking out what clothes she was going to wear.

"I have a wrist chip?" He asked, looking from River to his hand and then back again. "Since when did I have a wrist chip?"

"Since I ... 'wristchipped' you." Her voice came from behind a rack of clothes where she was picking out shoes.

"Yes, but when did you 'wristchip' me? And why did you do it in the first place?" He was staring at his hand intensely, now tapping it to see if it did anything. She reappeared in front of him, wearing light-wash jeans and a loose fitting shirt that used to belong to him but was now decidedly hers. They walked straight from the wardrobe and into the console room.

"I'm not sure _when, _Sweetie - I haven't actually done it yet. I just decided five minutes ago that you needed a wrist chip for this very purpose, and so decided I'd chip you when I met you sometime in the future, when you're younger. That's the way this time thing works, Doctor." She looked quite pleased with herself, for someone who hadn't actually done anything yet. "I'm going to go and set some clocks, if that's alright with you." She almost sauntered from the room, leaving The Doctor to wonder about the possibilities that were attached to being able to affect the present by deciding to do something in the future.

She had just chipped him - but oh, the things he could teach her younger self - everything he knew she would have to know. What he was more interested in, however, was maybe... Maybe, just maybe... No, impossible. He promised that he wouldn't change anything.

_Time can be rewritten. _He had promised her he wouldn't - but there was something he hadn't factored into his promise.

_Time can be written. _He wouldn't change it - wouldn't break his promise. But he could help himself save her some other way. With every cell in his body, he would strive to protect her, to bring her back.

_Knock Knock._

The Doctor spun around to face the doors.

They were parked in their garden. On an uninhabited planet that _no one _knew about apart from them. So how could someone be knocking? He tentatively stepped towards the doors, reaching out for the handle, but before he could open them, he heard a pair of fingers snap, and they swung open.

It was _him_.

A tall figure blocking the bright sun of the planet from streaming in through the doorway.

A mad man and a blue box.

A time machine and her thief.

He saw, standing right in front of him, what must have been an older version of himself. Behind him (the other him) was The TARDIS. But not _The _TARDIS, because he was in _The _TARDIS. The other him was grinning like a loon, giggling with almost childish delight and pointing at him, and it took a full minute before he settled down and The Doctor (the real one (not implying that the other one wasn't real, only that he was different)) regained the ability to speak.

The other him (oh, this was going to get confusing) smiled broadly, straightening his bowtie.

"Hello Sweet... Oh no wait, that's her line. What do I say then?" He asked himself.

"I think just 'Hello' will do..." The Doctor replied nervously. He'd spoken to his ganger before, but this was different - it was really him, and from the future as well!

"I suppose you're wondering why I'm here - at least, I remember wondering why I was here... Anyway, we need to talk about things... Important things." The other him rubbed his hands together.

"What things? And why?" The Doctor followed himself out of The TARDIS (his TARDIS) and into the garden.

"Because, my dear past self - Time can be written."

**You know, this chapter started normally until I got ahead of myself and made it a vehicle for massively important plotty things?**

**When I get home and get a chance to go on a real computer, the readers who review (ThebeautifulPeople) might find a reply to reviews sent ages ago, as I've been forgetful lately. A select few of you (aforementioned) may find a prompt invitation, which I will fill as part of the aforementioned (what, I just think it's a funny word) drabble series. **

**And I'm getting home very soon. But not quite soon enough. I'm amazed I've been able to give you guys 3 chapters from halfway across the world - it's quite a feat if I say so myself but I guess that just shows dedication (or lack of activity I love more than (hopefully) pleasing you guys).**

**Again, I love you all. I don't know how I could love you anymore. Except maybe if you review. Pwetty pwease?**


	24. Some Kind Of Mixed Up

**I am back on British soil. Well. British tarmac, anyway. Nothing more welcoming than riots, right? Any fellow Londoners reading this, stay safe.**

**I hope I didn't confuse you all too much with that last chapter, I know I still have to work out where this will all lead to exactly – hope I haven't dug myself into a hole with this one. **

**I have **_**finally **_**written something for the first chapter of the drabble series. It would be awfully nice of you if you could go check that out and maybe review to tell me how it is – the series is called 'Not Just Adventures' and I would love you forever for checking it out (.net/s/7276863/1/Not_Just_Adventures).**

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><p><strong>24. Some Kind Of Mixed Up<strong>

"...We need to talk about things... Important things." The other him rubbed his hands together.

"What things? And why?" The Doctor followed himself out of The TARDIS (his TARDIS) and into the garden.

"Because, my dear past self - Time can be written."

"I don't understand..." The Doctor watched a perfect copy of himself lean against a perfect copy of The TARDIS.

"You will. In time you'll understand completely why I'm here, but for now you'll just have to trust me. Shouldn't be too difficult, should it?" He grinned.

"Of course I trust you! You're The Doctor." He grinned back.

"Now, now – let's not get distracted, we've got things to talk about... Important things."

"Once again – what things?"

"There have been times... will be times... when I come to speak to you like this. There will be times when you need guidance, advice – because our life is never boring, especially now that you have the baby, and things can go wrong. Things go wrong, and people go wrong, and they turn away from love and become evil and we know that better than anyone." He didn't speak directly to himself, looking away and even pacing a few steps to the left as if talking while looking at himself was too awkward. "Think about it – you've got everything you could've wished for... and someone's bound to try and take it away from you. I'm going to help you, because he helped me. And by he I mean me – that older me that helped me." He had taken to waving his hands somewhat manically, continuing the small circle in which he was walking until he was facing the TARDIS that didn't belong to him. The Doctor rotated on the spot while he proceeded, so he continued to face him. "I thought it was a bad idea, that crossing my own timeline could only lead to trouble, but sometimes trouble is already there and it's caused pain and maybe it's worth the extra trouble to stop the pain – so this is me... helping you stop the pain. Things are going to happen. I can't tell you when, and I can't tell you what it is, but I can tell you that with the best of my ability, I will help you." He turned to face The Doctor, his back now against The TARDIS.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you, I guess..." It was difficult, trying to convey gratitude to yourself.

"There's really no need to thank me – it's really me being selfish, actually, helping myself. Then again, a lot of things are worth being selfish for." He looked at himself squarely in the eye, his gaze dark, willing his younger self to understand just how important these things were to him.

"Are you talking about River?" All of The Doctor's senses were immediately heightened - the thought of saving River was something he'd contemplated many times while she lay asleep next to him, but it was never something he thought about during the day - he preferred to distract himself with the present because he had always known that rewriting time wasn't an option. For the first time in a long time, he allowed his hopes of saving her to be raised immensely - here was a future version of himself, telling him that there was a way.

"Amongst other things." He wasn't admitting to anything directly - it reminded him of River at the beginning of his timeline. When River had behaved like this, he had been understanding - she was preventing a paradox under his instruction so he knew that she couldn't tell him anything - but this man had lived through what he was feeling now - he knew that right now all of his hopes were hanging by a thread that was just waiting to snap - and still he refused to be any more direct than alluding to a possible outcome. He must remember how he felt at this point in time, mustn't he? The emotion was the most he had felt in days, his world suddenly tipped on its side.

"Tell me! Tell me how I can save her!" His voice was getting louder, less calm and more threatening - if threatening was an adjective that could ever be used to describe his tone of voice.

"I can't, you know that. I'm not even sure yet." This was what set him off completely - he had come here to tell him what, exactly? That there was something he could do? He had just said that he didn't know what yet!

"Then what's the point of you?" His voice rang out around the clearing, leaving a resounding silence that threatened to hang in the air indefinitely. He looked across at this version of himself that he had just berated, feeling even more guilty when he saw the slight hurt in his eyes. He didn't get the chance to apologise, however, because it was then that they heard River calling for him from inside The TARDIS. The Doctor panicked, pushing his older self through the doorway and hissing "Distract her!"

"What about the other River?" He whispered quickly, motioning towards his own TARDIS.

"I'll keep her busy; just don't let them look outside!" He quickly shut the doors of his TARDIS before opening the other one. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was a very, _very_ bad idea as he closed the doors behind him, skipping towards the console.

"Hello Sweetie." That was why. Standing at the top of the staircase was none other than River – well, the other Doctor's River – who was really his River anyway... Well, it was _someone's_ River, but that wasn't what he had to worry about right now. What he really needed to worry about was the fact that she wasn't wearing anything more than a towel. Her hair hung wetly around her shoulder, and even from across the room he could smell the shampoo which she obviously didn't grow less fond of with age.

"River..." He gulped. This River wasn't much different than _his_ River – the only noticeable difference was the eyes. There was a kind of wisdom in them, though now obscured by mischief. "Um..." He stumbled backwards against the railings, taken by surprise - he hadn't been expecting to see her so suddenly, and she was the same as _his_ River (whom he'd left his other self with in _his _TARDIS. Clever.).

She cocked her head to one side, stepping down the stairs slowly - he never really stood a chance.

...

When he had hung around as long as was considered decent, he mumbled something incoherently about some thermo-couplings that needed reattaching, picking up his clothes awkwardly and shuffling along the corridor back to the console room. Under more normal circumstances, he would've stayed longer with her - but the longer he stayed, the more likely that something catastrophically bad was going to happen - universal implosion or noticeable slip-up in knowledge to name a few. As he hurriedly pulled on his socks, he caught sight of the scanner in the corner of his eye. He could see that their version of measuring time had stuck - except the time read 24-7-2-6-15-37. He could only assume that this was how their time was abbreviated - and logically, the sequence of numbers would mean that their child - the one that his River was only 10 weeks pregnant with right now - was 24 years old for him. His mouth fell open as he considered the implications of this. At least that meant that he and River had at least 24 years - 24 years left to raise the baby, and live the life that he had only hoped they'd have enough time left for.

After putting on the last of his clothes and straightening his bowtie, he cautiously stuck his head outside The TARDIS. His older self was standing outside, leaning against his TARDIS.

"What took you so long?" He asked, glancing at his wrist out of habit more than actually curiosity.

"Couldn't get away..." He mumbled. He forced himself to look him directly in the eye, because he was being a bit awkward and he didn't fancy explaining to himself that he had just had sex with his wife. His wife as in the other him's wife and his wife as in _his_ wife. The other him tipped his head to one side, trying to work out the thought that had inspired the expression his younger self was wearing. Then his eyes widened and he pointed accusingly.

"I remember now! You had sex with her, didn't you!" He looked quite distressed.

"Hey! That was you 24 years ago!" He pointed out in response. It was a cheap shot but he had an inkling that his older self might have...

"Did you sleep with _my_ River?" He asked pointedly. He wasn't going to be angry - it was hardly infidelity - but they were in deeper than intended. They had woven a tangled enough web to start with when they crossed their own timeline, and now they were digging themselves deeper and deeper into the hole.

"She accosted me!" He tried to excuse himself. "It wasn't my fault." It was his turn to look sheepish then.

"What a wife we have, eh?" He chuckled to himself and managed to get a smile out of the Doctor currently leaning against his TARDIS. Then he suddenly remembers.

"Where's our baby?" The time he saw on the scanner indicated that the child was now 24 - he assumed that it hadn't stayed in The TARDIS for much longer than it had too, because with his luck, if his child had still been residing there he would've run into it.

"Off being brilliant." He scoffed. Then, as an afterthought, he added for The Doctor's sake, "It'll move too fast for you to see - if you blink, you could miss it."

"I'll try not to blink then." He assured himself.

"When exactly are you?" He asked, changing the subject before he got sentimental and let something slip.

"0-2-2-3-9-14." The Doctor recited perfectly. It suddenly hit him that when he got back to The TARDIS, he'd suggest this way of abbreviating the times to River, who would agree and declare it genius - so he could learn it from himself in the future. Damn paradoxes.

"Oh, that's early! Have you had the sonogram yet? I forget when we had that done..." He finally stepped away from The Doctor's TARDIS, stepping round him to get to his own.

"Sonogram?" The Doctor asked, puzzled.

"She's about 10 weeks - she can have her first sonogram and you can hear the heartbeats." He grinned, obviously at the memory of experiencing it himself. He opened the doors, motioning for The Doctor to step back so that he could dematerialise.

"Wait - I'll see you again, right? We haven't finished talking yet!" By talking, he really meant discussing the ways he could save his wife.

"Of course!" The Doctor smiled. "We've got a lot more work to do." He stepped into his TARDIS, shutting the doors behind him. A few moments later it began to dematerialise, and he turned to return to his own TARDIS - and his own River.

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><p><strong>So I <strong>_**finally **_**got my tumblr how I want it – anyone on there? Do say hello! I'm 'maybewhenyoureolder'**

**Review and maybe look at the drabble series? Pwease?**

**You know you want to :)**


	25. Bits And Pieces Of Us

**I'm sorry again if timeywimey things confuse people – you'll just have to bear with me, because right now you understand more than The Doctor does, at any rate. After working out timelines and things, etc – I know where the fic is going! ACHIEVEMENT! If you have any questions about what's happened so far, don't hesitate to message me and ask.**

**Hello to those of you that I've talked to / have talked to me / have followed me on tumblr! *waves* To those of you that haven't, do say hello! (maybewhenyoureolder)**

**Apologies for more shameless plugging, but I've posted 3 chapters in that drabble series – if you have a spare minute that you wouldn't mind spending on some 11/River fluff, you can check it out here **_**(**__.net/s/7276863/1/_)

**25. Bits And Pieces Of Us**

The Doctor was baffled. Absolutely, positively baffled. This was usually one of those moments that he had a really clever idea, but nothing seemed to be happening and he was afraid that he might actually have to put in an _effort _to obtain a result. The very idea itself was horrifying. He understood that it would be a while before he knew why he was being visited by a future version of himself, and he knew that it would be even longer before any information he needed could be put into action, but this just made patience that much more difficult. He didn't even know what he would have to figure out yet – he hadn't been told! What made it worse was that this was himself who was confusing him, and he couldn't change it by deciding to give himself all the answers immediately in the future. He understood that there was a reason he was being kept in the dark but that didn't mean that he was enjoying it.

He scratched his cheek, finished the repairs he'd been doing and grudgingly slumped back to his bedroom. He opened the door as quietly as possible so he wouldn't wake River up, only he found her sitting up and reading. Neither of them particularly had to sleep – that was one perk of being a timelord – but they both enjoyed sleeping. It seemed strange at first to The Doctor, who was used to running around at all hours of the day, but he was used to having nothing to do while his companions were sleeping so he had had experience with sleep in the past. After they had gotten married, sleep became a normal occurrence in their routine, though it had not been a part of River's before they were together. To sleep was such a human thing to do, but it always felt nice to take a break from the universe. He supposed that their tendency to sleep would be beneficial to the baby, but missing out on a night or two wouldn't make much difference.

"Whatcha reading?" He asked, jumping onto the bed. The mattress wobbled beneath his knees. She looked up from the hardback she had been absorbed in, raising her eyebrows at The Doctor's tone and his current stance.

"I'm not sure; it doesn't have a title on it..." She frowned. "I found it in the library. It's in French and it's got lots of horses in it except the horses can levitate and talk to the people telepathically."

"Ooh, 'Les écuries'! 43rd century classic, very ahead of it's time in terms of political content. Set on Rhea, in the Euneneng belt. That would explain the French bit." He leaned forward to give the binding a sniff, then wrinkled his nose. "It smells like horse manure."

"It's a bit boring, actually. I was only reading it because I couldn't get to sleep." She didn't look tired, so that was probably why.

"If you want, I can help." He offered, gesturing towards her head with his hands.

"Thanks, but I'd rather do something constructive to tire me out and then get to sleep normally, if that's all right." It would've been easier to let him get her to sleep his way, but she didn't like doing anything unnaturally while she was pregnant. She was still absolutely terrified that something was going to happen to the baby.

"That's fine! I'm not tired, either. We could go for your first sonogram, if you'd like. It's been a while since we've seen Jack and the others." He was eager to find out just how much of a timelord (or timelady) this baby was going to be.

"Hm... I was going to suggest we had sex, but that's more constructive." She closed the book and put it on the bedside table.

"Oh." His face fell.

"Not so enjoyable, but constructive all the same. Anyway, there's always that when we come back, hey?" She smiled, reaching out to stroke his cheek.

"Definitely." He agreed, hopping off the bed. "Come along Song!" She moved to get out of bed. "You might want to change first, though." He suggested, eyeing her choice of nightwear. She had obviously done her best to dress modestly, but for The Doctor this didn't make much difference.

"If you insist." She sighed. The Doctor nodded approvingly as she headed towards the wardrobe.

...

"Anybody home? We come bearing tea!" The Doctor called out as he grandly stepped out of The TARDIS.

"Doctor!" Jack waved from across the room. They were sitting around a large set of monitors, watching what looked like CCTV footage of an alien running around London. The Doctor assumed that they were tracking it so they could capture it but as they got closer he saw that this wasn't some high-security case but actually the latest sci-fi movie that they had all decided to watch together. They were all jumbled up on a sofa in front of the screen, buckets of popcorn sitting in their laps.

"Hard at work?" River asked jokingly. Gwen hastily grabbed the remote and paused the movie.

"It's been a long day. We thought we could all do with a break." Jack explained.

"Well, we hate to interrupt your break but we're due a sonogram. That is, if the drastically misinformed cast members of the science fiction film you were watching don't mind." He looked at the screen in disdain, clearly not amused by the film maker's interpretation of an alien. Why did they always go with green short things with bulbous heads and tiny black eyes? It was doing The Yasai a large disrespect to represent them as the invading type when they were so peaceful normally – unless provoked with threats of violence or large stripy socks.

"Yeah, sure – Martha, can you give River a sonogram? I'll deal with the rest."

"Deal with the rest?" The Doctor asked quizzically.

"Well for starters, we've got to get your time so we know how far along she is and then we add it to our timeline," He gestured to the map on the wall, "Then... you said something about tea?"

"Oh yes! We've found some special tea leaves grown on Opalla's second moon – they help River with her nausea. You gave the tea to us in the first place, though – so you've got to keep some here for when we come here for our second checkup." He was careful not to release any more information than was necessary. This timeline was on a strictly need-to-know basis.

"Alright... I'll keep that in the back. What about the parents? Are you bringing them along soon?" Then The Doctor remembered that they hadn't brought Amy and Rory yet – at least not in their timeline.

"We bring them on our second visit – about six months in the future." The need-to-know basis was working out rather well, he thought.

"Good. I'll give you a hand with the tea while Martha preps River for her sonogram." They made their way to The TARDIS and disappeared inside, returning a short while later bearing two crates of unopened tea, which they carried into a storeroom off the side of the main floor of the headquarters. By the time The Doctor came back to his wife, she was sitting on what looked like a hospital bed in the lab area, while Martha quickly and efficiently set up the scanner and turned it on.

"Alright, River – this is going to be a bit cool..." She squeezed a generous amount of the transparent blue gel she was holding out of the tube and onto River's stomach. It hadn't changed much in size – The Doctor supposed it probably had gotten a bit bigger, but he hadn't noticed any particularly large change. While Martha worked, The Doctor took hold of River's hand and squeezed it gently, smiling with her. They kept both pairs of eyes on the screen until an image began to appear, but they couldn't make any sense of it. To The Doctor and River, it was kind of just a big bunch of... stuff.

"OK..." Martha began, studying the sonogram. With her free hand she pointed to a spot roughly the size of a small pear. "See that lump there? That's your baby..." She smiled.

"That's... that's our baby?" The Doctor asked, just for confirmation that he was actually looking at his child – the one that was inside of River at this very second. Looking at the picture on the screen, he had been too distracted to remember to ask about the baby's heartbeat, but Martha stopped scanning River and wiped the gel off her stomach before leaning over to the machine to collect a printout.

"Alright, this is the scan of your baby's heartbeat..." She held the piece of paper out to The Doctor, who grabbed it and scanned it quickly, searching the readings.

"Two hearts..." He murmured, handing the printout to River, who lifted herself out of the bed and quickly looked at the paper herself.

"Two hearts..." She repeated, looking at The Doctor in awe. "It's like us..." She said, smiling brightly at The Doctor. "It's going to be like us... Maybe we don't know how much it's going to be like us yet, but it's going to have two hearts..." She bit her lip, as if struggling to withhold the joy she felt.

"I don't care if it's not completely like us. It doesn't have to be all timelord, it's enough that it's going to have these bits and pieces of us..." He trailed off, gaze flickering between the frozen image on the screen and the printout. They were both enchanted by their newborn child, without an identity yet but with so much hope held in a ball of life no bigger than a fist. It was possibly the best feeling The Doctor had ever experienced – their baby...

"A little piece of me inside of you..." He whispered, reaching out to cup her face, his thumb brushing against her cheek. "This child is going to be _brilliant._"

"I wouldn't expect any less from your child, Doctor." Martha said as she smiled kindly at them.

Being enchanted was tiring. As soon as they returned to The TARDIS, they drifted off into a peaceful sleep, even without the need for... _shenanigans._ They lay together in a tangled lace of arms and legs, only having had the energy to take off what clothes were constricting.

That night, in a moment a peace and joy and hope, their dreams were peaceful but fiercely _brilliant._ She dreamt of a small boy with brown floppy hair in tweed and a bowtie, playing with hats in a dress-up box. He dreamt of a little girl with River's corkscrew blonde curls, writing in her little diary. They both dreamt of happiness.

**It would be lovely if you could take half a minute to review :)**


	26. Bored

**I want to start by apologising profusely for my prolonged absence – the internet overlords decided to deny you fic – they were redoing the cables or something in my area so there was only meant to be a two day absence (after the two days I waited to give you an update) making a four day delay. Then when it was "fixed" it no longer worked (BT! *shakes fist*) for a further four days before they got their act together. Furthermore, some things have been going on with me that I had to deal with, I'm not sure how that will affect my writing but I hope that you'll understand that I need to focus on being well. I hope you haven't give up on me and my sorry fic :( If you're still paying attention to the mush I churn out under the guise of a story, thank you for sticking with me through 25 chapters and for leaving me 357 reviews (seriously, bad days always concur with me checking my reviews for your lovely comments :)**

**Enough of the rambling – here you go. I suppose this is what you'd call a filler chapter but my excuse is that I've made a self-enforced quota that there has to be at least two chapters per week of the pregnancy (not long how that's gonna go on for before I do a time-jump if I get bored ;)**

**One last thing – I don't see how LKH affects my story that much apart from what I said about 'baby' Melody. So I suppose it's a little AU. But not much.**

**26. Bored**

"Aren't you terrified you're going to get bored of this?" She asked – a worry she'd concealed until now, casually bringing it up in an attempt to sound like it didn't really bother her.

"Bored of what?" He asked. They were entwined together, sheet thrown haphazardly over their bodies.

"Bored of me... bored of how we live now." She tried to hide her doubt with a thin attempt at a mile, as if she was joking – even thought she clearly wasn't.

"I'll never tire of living like this." He sighed, smiling and reaching a hand up to tangle in her hair. She believed him, but that was only one of the many doubts in her mind.

"Even if boredom isn't what does it – everything has to end eventually. Everybody knows that everybody dies – one day, we'll both be gone." She finished in a whisper, barely getting the words out before he spoke abruptly.

"No – ours is a love that exists out o time. There'll always be another adventure, in another place – in another time – the universe will never be rid of us." He managed to articulate his thoughts on the subject rather well, considering he was focusing all his energy on not crying as he watched her flash before his eyes – he still felt the cold metal of the handcuffs while she sacrificed herself. She seemed not to have noticed that his mind was other places, continuing.

"But for us, though – one day the time will come when each of us has lived through all of our times together – what happens then?" She looked directly into his eyes and in that moment it was almost as if she was reading his very soul for a reaction – but he only paused for a split-second before reconfirming his belief in his own ability to save her.

"We make more." Her face broke into a smile, and he swore that her eyes, brimming with trust and hope and love, where the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

"I love you." She lowered her gaze to his neck, tangling her hands in his hair.

"I love you too." He replied, sighing contentedly. His hands had found hers, and he was tracing letters into her palm like he always did when he was drowsy and spent. Dropping her hands gently by her sides, he ran his fingers over the skin of her stomach.

"I love you as well, my little timelord. You are going to be so, so special." He leaned down to place a kiss on her belly. She hadn't grown there just yet – there wasn't much of a difference and he couldn't be sure that when he thought he saw a slight miniscule bump, it wasn't water retention or wishful thinking.

"I love that." She looked down at him. "I love that you speak to it like that." He grinned sheepishly and she ruffled his hair affectionately.

"I like doing it – I like to think that one day, I'll speak to it and it'll have developed enough to actually hear me." He confessed.

"I like thinking that too – but I wish we didn't have to call our baby 'it' all the time." She didn't like it at all – this baby was theirs – and it would always be so much more than just an 'it'.

"Me neither, but there isn't really any alternative unless we cheat..." He raised his eyebrows somewhat suggestively, implying that they employ the benefits of living in a time machine, maybe asking Jack of even just going for the earliest sonogram possible.

"No, I want to wait. Everything about us is impossible, and this child will be the most impossible of all, but perhaps keeping it this way for a while will be a good dose of normal for us." Even if her curiosity was screaming at her to agree and find out, she wasn't going to be naïve and assume that things wouldn't get just a little frustrating at times.

"Yeah, you're right – although I have to say, the chances of this being normal are pretty slim..."

"I know that, but we could at least try to be remotely ordinary while I'm pregnant – it might be the last bit of peace we get for years. Babies are meant to be hard work, right? Think of how much harder it'll be with all the weird timelordy stuff." She sighed but The Doctor's eyes widened considerably as he fully comprehended how difficult even the logistics of this could be.

"You're right..." His face was pale. "Oh God, I know nothing about children!" He started to panic, imagining various scenarios where he ruined his child's life one way or another.

"What do you mean? You've had children before..."

"Yes, but that was centuries ago – oh my god, River – what are we going to do?" He was rapidly deteriorating, and if his hands hadn't been entwined in hers he would probably have been flapping his arms manically. She quickly took his head between her hands, stilling him instantly.

"We are going to take this one step at a time and do some swotting up – don't worry, you're going to be an excellent father." She looked so sincere that he couldn't do anything but believe it himself. For all her worries about the pregnancy and the baby, she had immediately calmed _him_ when he began to panic. It was at times like this that he could fully appreciate how much he really needed her.

"You're going to be brilliant, you know?" He brushed a stray curl from her eyes.

"I know." She grinned.

"We're going to be brilliant." They were both grinning now – it was infectious.

"Yeah."

"The coolest family there ever was..." His eyes widened.

"Yeah." She was just agreeing now – he was a dreamer, this was what he did.

"Travelling the stars – everyday an adventure, every second full of joy and happiness and love..." The way he imagined it was entrancing and she was beginning to lose her vocabulary, responding in the same way for the third time in a row.

"Yeah."

"It's gonna be amazing." He leant down to kiss her on the lips – that got her attention. Pulling away, he saw the smile on her face reappear.

"Now you tell me if you think you'd ever be bored..." She kissed him again, and before he forgot what she had said, he managed to answer against her skin.

"Of this? Never.

**I know it's not that long, I would've like to give you a really long one as an apology but there was really only so long I could drag out this one conversation. Again, apologies. **


	27. Stretchy Trousers Are Cool

**I don't think I say thank you to you all enough. So thank you again! You're all so nice in your reviews, and it makes me really happy that people are actually reading this and enjoying it! I love you all, very much.**

**27. Stretchy Trousers Are Cool**

For a few weeks The Doctor had been glancing nervously at River's stomach – when it was concealed behind clothes he couldn't help but look at it distractedly, and when it wasn't he was too distracted to calculate the angle of it's roundness if any at all.

Then, one morning when they woke up, he opened hi eyes to see a very noticeable bump. It hadn't happened overnight – he just hadn't noticed it before because the change wasn't happening all at once – but when he took a minute to compare the stomach his wife had had weeks ago and the one he was looking at now, he could _see._ It wasn't that much – no one would've given it a second glance apart from him.

"River?" He asked calmly.

"Yes?" She yawned, but refused to open her eyes.

"Um... I think you might want to see this..." He was probably over-reacting and she had probably seen it already – how could she not have – but it just seemed like something important, especially to him. When she finally opened her eyes and followed his line of sight to the noticeable bump protruding ever-so-slightly from her nightdress, she sat up, swinging her legs off the bed and running out of the room.

"Where are you going?" The Doctor protested, quickly getting up to follow her out of the room.

"I need to see!" She explained over her shoulder as he caught sight of her at the end of the corridor. She scurried out of sight, The Doctor hot on her heels. It took about a minute for her to find the wardrobe, and a further three until he did. When he went in, she was just standing in front of the full-length mirror on the wall. Her head was looking down as she looked from her own stomach to the one belonging to the reflection in front of her. Her nightdress lay discarded on the floor and she stood there in only her underwear, a few blouses hung up on the rail extended above her head, most of them white or pale blue. She was frowning, as if trying to work out the most impossible of problems (he knew this because if it was anything less than impossible she would have been done with it seconds after she started).

"How did I miss that?" She murmured, gently stroking the skin. "How did you miss that?" She turned to The Doctor.

"I think we've been looking at it too much so we couldn't tell the difference until we actually thought about it."

"We're not very good at that, are we? Actually thinking about things..."

"Speak for yourself! I happen to be an excellent thinker." He tapped his forehead enthusiastically – so enthusiastically in fact that he recoiled, having hit himself in the face by accident.

"Exhibit A." She chuckled. "If you're such an excellent thinker, maybe you could help with this."

"What is it?" He asked, wondering why she had looked so confused before.

"I've been wearing a lot of trousers lately because I've got nothing to dress up for – but they've been getting tighter lately and I don't think I can wear them anymore. I'd wear dresses all the time but they can get awfully uncomfortable..." She wrinkled her nose.

"Hm... this isn't usually my area of expertise," She practically snorted at that, "But I think I know what you can do."

"What?" She asked, picking up the plain white shirt she had had her eye on.

"Stretchy trousers." He said, seeming much more excited than the declaration actually called for.

"Stretchy trousers? There is no way I'm wearing stretchy trousers." She grimaced.

"Oh, come on! Stretchy trousers are cool!" He waved his arms in the air awkwardly, but despite his lack of co-ordination, he somehow managed to look really very adorable while doing so.

"Why don't you wear stretchy trousers then?" She folded her arms.

"That defeats the point, River – _I _can still fit into all _my _clothes." He looked really smug and she only just refrained from slapping the grin right off his face.

"Oh, I hate you." She muttered, shaking her head and sliding a door across so she could start rummaging amongst the clothes.

"No you don't!" He countered, facing the opposite side of the room to go and help her look for clothes. River didn't find anything she wanted to wear at all, and she was ready to just wander around in her underwear all day until The Doctor snuck up behind her, covering her eyes.

"I've got something I think you're going to like..." He whispered.

"In the wardrobe? That's just a bit kinky of you, Sweetie." She grinned maliciously, enjoying the spluttering sounds he made behind her.

"That's not what I mean, I just... I've got something for you. Wait, that's not any better is it? Oh, shut up and just look!" She spun around and he held up a brown pair of stretchy trousers.

"What did I say about stretchy trousers?" She shook her head.

"Oh, but I think you'll like these ones, River. You see... these – are _jodhpurs._" Upon hearing this, she grabbed them out of his hands and quickly pulled them on, babbling excitedly as she rushed around a rack of clothes to the other side to grab something.

"Oh my god! I've wanted a pair of these for ages! They're bloody brilliant, just you wait!" He smiled, knowing just how brilliant they actually were. After about half a minute, she came back into sight, wearing the jodhpurs and a shirt with a (deliberately, he suspected) plunging neckline.

The Doctor was rendered speechless for a moment, not trusting himself to open his mouth should words he couldn't control tumble out. Instead, he just let his gaze travel up and down her body, admiring her outfit (yes, of course it was just the outfit he was admiring).

"That's..." He began, but couldn't think of words to accurately portray how good he thought she looked.

"Good?" She asked, turning to make sure he got every angle. He gulped.

"Good." He confirmed. "Very good. Actually, rather fantastic." He blushed a bit, coming closer to get a better look.

"Well, you've got to admit that pregnancy has perks other than the baby..." She pointed out and he gulped again, drinking in the last of her appearance until he felt slightly dizzy. Not only had her stomach grown, but he had been ever so human in noticing changes in _other places._

"Jodhpurs. Must get more jodhpurs." He muttered to himself. River chuckled.

**Review for River and JODHPURS? It is indeed a marvellous thing.**


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